January 24, 2011

I’m not your average P90X devotee…young and male. I’m a 52 year old, vegan, menopausal woman, and I finished one round of P90X AND lived to tell about it. In fact, I’m about to start my second round.

If I can do it, you can do it!

I definitely learned a bunch of things during the intense 13 weeks of P90X and I’d love to share them with you! I want to tell you what you can expect from P90X as a woman, and what you shouldn’t expect. I also have some tips for you, and some ideas on the results you might get. Let’s go!

EXPECTATIONS…

• Expect to build muscle, and to increase your flexibility, strength, and endurance.

• Expect to start seeing results as quickly as 2 weeks. Expect to be proud of yourself and to be motivated by the results that you see.

• Don’t expect to immediately lose a lot of weight, especially in the first 30 days or even up to 60 days. You’re going to be building a lot of muscle and losing some fat too, but you may be building muscle at a faster rate than you’re losing fat. Make sense? We also know that muscle is heavier than fat, so the net effect may be zero weight loss for a while. In fact, you might even gain a pound or more, but you just have to be patient. Don’t freak out! If you stick with the exercise program and eat properly, then you will build muscle and lose fat, but don’t expect to see an automatic gigantic weight loss immediately.

• Expect to be sore, even weeks and weeks into the workout. You may even be sore after every new workout. That’s a good thing…your muscles are telling you that something is happening. What they’re saying is that they’re confused and they’re changing!

• Expect for this workout to be extremely tough; maybe the hardest thing you have ever done. Tony Horton says P90X isn’t some “silly little class”, so expect it to kick your butt, because it will!

• Expect for it to be difficult to push “PLAY“ on some days. We all have days when we’re low on energy and/or low on motivation; that’s just part of being human. Don’t let those days control you though. Even if you don’t feel up to a super-duper tough workout, just start it. Just start! Chances are, you’ll pick up momentum as you go along, and you’ll get through the whole darn thing before you even have time to whine about it.

• Expect to modify some of the exercises, especially if you have knee or back problems. Side lunges, for example, are terrible for my knees, so I either do them very carefully or I skip them altogether if my knees are grumpy that day. I also know that the yoga chair pose is something I can’t do at all because it kills my back. Another modification I made is that I didn’t use the pull-up bar in my first round of P90X, but it wasn’t rest time for me when the folks in the video were doing pull-ups or chin-ups. I did another upper body move that I felt worked those same muscles, so I still got a workout on that body part.

Photo credit: aJ GAZMEN ? GucciBeaR’s flickr photostream

• Expect to struggle with push-ups. Don’t be surprised if you have to do “girl push-ups”, even all the way through. There’s no shame in that! As long as you’re doing your best, you’re going to see progress in what you can do and you will get results. I personally have a really hard time with push-ups, and I pretty much hate the nasty little buggers, but I love what they do for my upper body so I keep pushing through!

• Expect to be blown away by what some of the people can do on the DVDs. These folks are not all professionals, but they are SUPER FIT people! You should not expect to be able to do everything they do! Please hear me…do not expect to do everything they can do! It’s something to strive for, but don’t think you should quit if you can’t keep up with them. You just do the best that you can each and every workout, and you’ll see improvement each time you do that workout. Their performance is something to work toward and not something to be discouraged about.

• Don’t expect to be able to do exactly what the men do. Men are built differently from women. No matter how fit you are, it’s not going to be hormonally natural for you to build muscle as quickly as men do, or to be able to do all of the things that they do, especially when it involves upper body strength. Don’t expect to be able to do all of the variations of push-ups, for example, and don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do the chin-ups and pull-ups.

• Expect to be amazed at what YOU can actually do. If you do more every day and keep pushing “PLAY”, you will be stunned at the results that you’ll get, and those results will start soon! You’ll be proud of yourself, and will want to tell everyone you know about your program.

• Expect to love some programs and to hate others, and to feel just ambivalent about many of them. For me, the one that I absolutely hate is the favorite of lots of people, and that’s Kenpo. For some reason, I just hate it, so I skip the Kenpo workout and substitute another on that day. I might do cardio or yoga or legs and back, depending on what I feel like. I don’t make the Kenpo day a rest day, I just do something else that I enjoy more. I don’t think exercising has to be all rainbows and butterflies, but I also don’t think it has to be torture. Be kind to yourself and make an adjustment if you need to.

• Expect to want to quit. At some point, you may decide it’s just too hard. This is absolutely the hardest workout that I have ever done. I’ve done aerobic workouts, step workouts, Tao Bo, Jane Fonda, ballet workouts, Jillian Michaels, weight workouts; you name it and I’ve done it over the last 25 years, and this is by far the most challenging program that I have ever done. Tony Horton makes Jillian Michaels look like a Girl Scout, and I thought her DVDs were pretty tough before I attempted P90X! So expect to want to quit. It’s normal! But don’t give in to the temptation!

Once you get to that frustration point, I think that one motivational strategy is to concentrate on the body part that is your favorite and that people always compliment you on. Realize that that you’re just making it better and fitter. If that doesn’t spur you on, maybe negative psychology is more effective for you, as it is me. I think about the body part that I am least happy with, and the fact that if I don’t work out today, that body part is going to look WORSE. For me, legs are always my battle…trying to keep fat from accumulating on the stems. If I’m tempted to skip a workout I just think, guess what, your legs are going to look even worse than they already do if you wimp out. It sounds negative – and it is – but it works for me.

• Expect that you will want to talk with others about what you’re going through, what you’re experiencing, what your questions are, what your problems are, what your successes are. There are lots of ways to do that: the message boards on Beachbody.com, plus Twitter, and Facebook.

• Expect to want to continue at the end of the 90 days; whether you want to do another round of P90X or to go on to do something else: Insanity, TurboFire, P90X Plus, Brazil Butt Lift, whatever. You’re going to want to do more once you see how strong you are, how good you feel, how much better your endurance is, how high your energy is, and how pumped up your confidence is about your body image! There’s no way you’re going to want to sacrifice all of that and just go back to whatever your routine was before (or no routine at all). So expect to continue!

TIPS…

• Listen to what your body is telling you. P90X is a serious workout. If you’re trying to do something and your body says you’re hurting it, not just exerting it, then you need to stop and make sure that you don’t do that exercise again without evaluating what’s going on.

• Know your body and what your limitations are. If you’ve been working out for very long then you know the difference between STRAIN from a muscle that’s being worked really hard, and PAIN from an injury that is about to occur. Don’t feel like you have to be SuperWoman, otherwise you’ll end up with an injury that may sideline you for weeks. If you get hurt, you’ll be set back and you’ll be mad that you tried to be tough and push through when you should have stopped the moment your body warned you.

• Start out with light weights, and don’t worry about being a wimp. I started out using 3 pounds for triceps and 5 for biceps, and then just worked up from that. I finished at 10 pounds for biceps and 8 for triceps, but occasionally I’d back off a bit on shoulders if I felt a little strain. I’m at the age where I know people who are getting rotator cuff surgeries and I don’t want to be the next one on the operating table! That’s another example of listening to your body. Don’t feel like you have to do heavy weights, especially as a woman. You could use physical aids like elbow compression sleeve to reduce the strain on your arm and improve mobility during your weight lifting sessions. You’ll get the muscle growth and the toning you want without heavy weights. If the guys are doing 50 pounds, don’t feel bad if you’re only lifting 5! This is not a competition! It’s about getting fit and healthy; not winning!

• Wear good shoes in every workout (except for the yoga, of course). You’ll need the support for the jumping and jogging, and for the weight workouts, good shoes give you a sturdy foundation. You also need a really good cushy mat for the 90 minute yoga workout, and for warm-ups, cool-downs, and some floor exercises. My favorite shoes are made by Mizuno.

• Try your own music if you don’t enjoy the music on the videos. I don’t care for the music on the yoga video, and it makes the 90 minutes feel even longer. So I choose the option for the voice cues only with music off, and I just play other music I like in the background. Just keep your music level low enough so that you can still hear Tony’s cues.

• Take your measurements and photos before you start. I was a bad bad girl and didn’t do it, and now I wish that I had. You ca get a feel for how things are going by the way your clothes fit, but it’s just really helpful to be able to look back at where you began.

RESULTS…

I finished my first round and am about to start my second. After week 9, I had to take a 6 week break from working out after I smashed my ribs in a fall while on vacation, and then it took me 2 weeks to ease back into working out. Even so, I still got tremendous results and once I was recuperated, I started right back where I left off.

Before the fall in week 9, I felt incredibly strong. I was close to being in the best shape of my life, even compared to my 20s when I worked out every day and was obsessed with being fit. I’m now 52, 16 years vegetarian, 1 year vegan AND menopausal. The fact that I got the results that I did really speaks to the power of the program.

Being vegan, I have to use my common sense and eat in a very intentional manner, since I also do a cardio workout at the gym during my lunch hour every day. I need to make sure that I get enough protein, and that my food is giving me fuel. I don’t want to be slowed down or weighed down with empty calories that I’m going to have to burn off. By the way, my favorite book on vegan sports nutrition is Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life by Brendan Brazier.

So what kind of results did I get? By week 9 before I got sidelined, I built a lot of muscle, and lost about 5 pounds. I’m 5’7″ and started out at 131 pounds. After 9 weeks, I weighed 126 pounds, but I had lots more muscle. During the 6 week injury break, I lost muscle mass and got down to 123 because of it.

My arms and back both built muscle, my ever-grumpy lower back was stronger, I was more flexible from all the yoga, and had a lot of endurance. For women it’s really important to have your butt lifted up, and this program does that. Between all the cardio and leg routine and yoga, your butt definitely goes back up to where you want it to be, in spite of gravity and aging!

I also I noticed my quads were more defined than they have ever been, even in my 20s, which isn’t to say I don’t still have some fat, because I do. I think it’s pretty much impossible for women to expect they can see a day with zero fat and zero cellulite – #1 because we’re our own worst critic, but #2, I just don’t think our bodies work that way. I’ve accepted the fact that I’m going to have SOME fat that I’m not happy with, but even so, my quads were really defined from all the different exercises but they didn’t get bulky.

As far as my arms go, they of course didn’t get as large as a man’s would, but they buffed up quite a bit and I saw definition in my triceps, biceps, shoulder and forearms. That’s pretty much the whole arm, wouldn’t you say? I did the Lean Program with lower weights at 12 to 15 reps, and my arms still got plenty big for me. I like for my upper body to build up a little bit, because I think it gives nice balance to the pear shape that many of us women have. For me the Lean Program was the perfect amount of upper body growth and lower body toning, so I’ll choose it again.

Man or woman; we all want toned abs, right? Well, step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and get your abs right here. P90X will absolutely tone your core and build your abdominal muscles. I hadn’t built a 6-pack when I finished round 1, but I saw definition and was beginning to see that vertical line of defined muscle that kind of hints that a 6-pack could be in your future. Did it hurt? Well, yes, of course it did. Ab work is always uncomfortable, but I think visible progress happens pretty quickly in the midsection, as long as you’re not carrying a lot of extra weight there.

I already mentioned that I’m going through menopause, which translates into weight gain for lots of us girls. I’ve been on a mission to NOT gain 50 pounds and have so far been successful, but without P90X I think I would have a much bigger struggle on my hands (and on other body parts)!

The results are truly amazing and I’m looking forward to doing the whole 13 weeks without a break – God willing. Long term, I probably will rotate different workouts on different days after round 2. P90X is not a program that you do for one period of time; I think it’s something you integrate into your life for the rest of your life.

ONE LAST THING…

I heard in the media that some female celebrities have done P90X with fabulous results (Pink, Demi Moore, and Sheryl Crow, for example) but I never really considered attempting P90X myself. When my nephew told me I could do it though, I was intrigued and challenged and decided to try it.

I also heard that if you want to do P90X, you have to want it. You have to want it bad. This isn’t a program you can toy with or play with and then poof, presto, you get great results. You have to want it because you’re going to have to work for every single ounce of fat that you lose and every single ounce of muscle that you build. If you want it, you’re going to have to work for it, but it’s going to be worth it.

Push yourself through this program! If it was easy, everyone would do it. When you reach your goal, you’re going to be immensely proud of yourself.

One last piece of advice? Bring It!

~BigSis

January 16, 2011

Are you following BigSisLilSis on Facebook?  If not, you’ve already missed 2 weeks of health and fitness tips to get your New Year off to a great start!  Do you know which cellulite cures work and which don’t work?  Do you need some ideas for quick guilt-free lunches?  Are you looking for a new workout?

If you’ve been following our tips, you’d have those answers, and more!  It’s not too late though.  We have 2 more weeks of daily tips for you, so come check us out!  We can always learn something new from each other and we’d love to hear your tips and tricks!

photo credit: petname

~BigSis

January 9, 2011

A couple of months ago, I gave up my long-time favorite mascara – Loreal Voluminous – because it was animal-tested.  I went on a search for a new awesome product and reviewed four mascaras that disappointed me: Smashbox Hyper Lash, Tarte Lights Camera Lashes, Revlon 3D Extreme and MAC Zoom Lash.

Since then, the mascara search has continued with these three prospects:

Physicians Formula Organic Mascara ($9.95 retail)

• This mascara is said to be 100% free of harsh chemicals, synthetic preservatives, parabens, clumping, smudging, flaking, fibers and dyes.  It is also supposed to provide 5x Lash Boosting for lash length, volume and definition naturally, with a 100% recyclable “Eco-Brush” that claims to define each lash with ultra-soft plastic bristles.

• Did it deliver on all those claims?  Ehhh.  It was ok.  I didn’t take it back to the store, and actually used it several times.  I did get a little flaking, but not a terrible amount, and it removed very easily at night.

• My main beef with this mascara is that the look it provides is too natural for me.  As I mentioned in my previous review, I’m looking for volume and curl-retention.  I didn’t get deal-killing clumping with this mascara, but I didn’t get the volume I crave either.  I also wasn’t a big fan of the plastic brush.

Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara ($22 retail)

• I really wanted to love this mascara since Jose Maran Cosmetics donates one mascara to a City of Hope cancer patient for each GOGO (Get One Give One) mascara purchased.

• It claims to deliver full, longwearing, clump-free, water-resistant definition and to evenly build thickness and smoothness, delivering a full fringe of blacker-than-black lashes with dewy shine. It also includes Argan Oil which is supposed to condition and support hair growth for lush, supple, healthy lashes.

• So did this mascara walk the walk?  Sadly, no.  I tried it twice, and had to take it back to the store.  It clumped horribly, no matter how thoroughly I tried to wipe off the excess on the neck of the tube.  Besides that, the brush was enormous to the extent that it was unwieldy, and I found it nearly impossible to apply the product to my lower lashes without also applying it under my eyes.

• For the price, I had high expectations for Jose Maran’s mascara, especially when it came highly recommended by the Sephora sales rep.  The only thing I liked about this mascara is the GOGO program, so back it went.

Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara ($20 retail) (QVC 2/pk $28)

• I happened to randomly catch Mally Beauty on QVC, and liked her energy and was sold on a kit that included her Volumizing Mascara.  Mally claims that this mascara helps create the look of gorgeous, full, luxurious lashes with a combination of natural waxes and carefully chosen powders. It comes with a plush brush that is said to work with the powders in the formula to help thicken lashes without clumping and give you gorgeous volume that lasts.

• Was I disappointed yet again?  NO! You read that right…I wasn’t disappointed with Mally’s Volumizing Mascara! I actually tried a mascara that I like!

• Mally Volumizing Mascara gives me volume, curl and definition.  It doesn’t smudge, flakes only a teensy bit (which mascara doesn’t, frankly), and is easy to remove at the end of the day.  I will absolutely reorder this mascara in the QVC 2-pack.

• For now, my mascara search is over.  I can’t say that I won’t try another hyped-up mascara that crosses my path, but for now, I’m thrilled to have found one that I’m happy to use every morning. 😀

Next up, I have some fun new vegan products lined up on my bathroom counter, waiting to be tried out.  I have Lip Tar from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics and three loose Sugarpill eyeshadows.  Can a 40-plus woman pull off these vibrant young colors?  We’re about to find out!  😀

photo credit: kitty nancy

~BigSis

January 3, 2011

Happy new year!  Have you made a resolution, or turned over a new leaf, or decided to get serious, or determined that this is THE year?  Chances are that you want to get in shape and get healthy this year, like most of us do, right?

We would love to help you with your health and fitness goals!  LilSis and I are not experts or professionals; we’re just 40-plus women who have worked out for most of our lives and are always striving to be more fit and healthier.  And because we’re both in that very challenging menopausal stage of our lives as women, we’ve had to kick things up a notch and go way beyond what used to work for us.  The battle is getting tougher, but we’re not giving up.  We’re getting more determined!

We don’t know everything, but we want to share what we DO know to be true.  So, for the month of January, we’ll put up a new health or fitness tip on our BigSisLilSis Facebook page every day.  We’ll share little tidbits on working out, healthy eating, motivation, inspiration; anything that we think might help you meet your goals in 2011.

Have you visited us on our BigSisLilSis Facebook page?  If not, please come check us out and make sure to “like” us so you’ll get our tips without missing a thing!

We’d love to have your input, and to learn from you as we share our thoughts.  If we put our heads together, maybe the road to health in 2011 for all of us will be a little tiny bit smoother!

~BigSis

December 31, 2010

Happy new year!  LilSis and I love making appetizers, and there is no better opportunity for snack-crafting than New Years Eve and New Years Day!  My old Stuffed Mushrooms Italian recipe is a family favorite, and everyone loves it.  However, it’s stuffed with meat and cheese so I haven’t made it since I stopped eating critters almost 17 years ago.  It’s time to veganize this baby!

This is a pretty easy recipe to veganize; I just substituted Tofutti cream cheese for dairy cream cheese, and sausage-style seitan for the pork sausage.  I think it came out pretty well, but I want to keep tweaking this recipe to see if I can elevate it from “delicious” to “ding dang awesome”!

Stuffed Mushrooms Italian Veganized

1 small shallot, minced
1 pkg Upton Naturals Italian Sausage Style Seitan
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
1/2 cup Daiya Mozzarella
4 ounces Tofutti Cream Cheese (1/2 tub)
Olive oil
Seasonings to taste: Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, garlic powder
18 to 24 large mushrooms (depending on their size)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute shallot in a small amount of olive oil until softened.  Add seitan and sautee over medium low heat just until heated through; breaking it up with a fork.  When hot, add in the cream cheese and combine well.  Add the Daiya, breadcrumbs and seasonings.  Set aside while you prep the mushrooms.

Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel.  Rub with a bit of olive oil to keep them from drying out during baking.  Stuff with a generous amount of filling and bake until hot throughout.

Notes:

• I think I could reduce the amount of breadcrumbs, and perhaps eliminate them altogether since the dairy-free cheeses might bind the mixture together just fine.

• The filling is nice and creamy before it’s baked, but the dairy-free cheeses tend to break down a bit and get less creamy as they’re baked.  I’d like to try pre-cooking the mushrooms on the stove top or in the oven, and then add the filling so it cooks for less time.  I definitely want the mushrooms to be completely cooked since raw mushrooms have been found to be carcinogenic.

• This basic recipe is very customizable.  I can see adding chopped artichokes and black olives to the sausage for a tasty variation.

Happy new year, everyone!  Don’t forget to have your blackeyed peas for luck and greens for prosperity.  Add a steamy pan of fresh cornbread and these mushrooms, and you have a delicous start to 2011!

~BigSis

December 27, 2010

Can you believe that Christmas 2010 is behind us?  As always, it snuck up on us and then became history in the blink of Santa’s eye, didn’t it?

So what did you do the day after Christmas?  Here’s what I did:

Used the Amazon gift cards I got for Christmas. I got a pink (of course) Cuisinart 7-speed hand mixer and 6 books. Yes, Amazon cards DO burn a hole in my pocket!

• Cuisinart CHM-7PK PowerSelect 7-Speed Hand Blender, Pink

• The Vegan Girl’s Guide to Life: Cruelty-Free Crafts, Recipes, Beauty Secrets and More

• Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes

• Scatter Vegan Sweets

• Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth About Cow’s Milk and Your Health

• Good News for All Creation: Vegetarianism as Christian Stewardship

• The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur: Over 140 Simply Delicious Recipes That Treat the Eyes and Taste Buds

Ordered Beachbody’s Brazil Butt Lift. My plan is to integrate this different workout in with the second round of P90X that I’m about to start.  Confused muscles are happy muscles!

Balanced my checkbook (boo!)

Went crazy on the furkids with the FURminator deShedding Tool and cleaned their recent barfage from my carpet with the magic carpet cleaning potion

Did a boatload of laundry using my new favorite laundry detergent: Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent Free & Clear.  Adios, Tide!  Let me know when you stop animal testing and maybe I’ll consider coming back to you.  Til then…

Chose the Franklin Covey planner refill that I want for 2011: Blooms Monthly Tabs

Packed up all of the 2010 SPCA Bake Sale materials for next year. Our total so far for this year’s sale is close to $3,400.

And last but not least, I roasted up a big pile of Brussels Sprouts to try to counteract all of the chips, lemon bars and pasta salad I’ve eaten in the last couple of days!

Just slice them up, and then toss with a touch of olive oil, garlic powder and lemon pepper.

Roast at 450 degrees for around 30 minutes or until crispy.

So that was my day.  Did you feel a fire lit under you to get things organized and ready for the new year, as I did?

~BigSis

December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas! God bless us every one!

~BigSis

December 19, 2010

The 2010 SPCA Christmas Bake Sale is now history!  We held the charity event last Monday, and contributions are still coming in but the total amount raised so far is $3,265.  We’re short of our $4,000 goal, but considering all of the obstacles that confronted us this year, we’re pretty happy to have raised that amount!  We wanted to beat last year’s $4,023 total but we’re thankful for what we have.

Our conference room wasn’t available this year, so our management company allowed us to use an empty suite on the first floor.  We liked the accessibility of the ground floor space, but the large concrete-floored room presented an ambiance challenge.  We used lots of signs and color, and fabrics on our tables.  The focus was on the goodies available for purchase to benefit the animals anyway, not the interior design, right?

We had a wide selection of cakes, breads, candy, treats, cookies and brownies to choose from.  The biggest change this year was that all 15 items that I baked were vegan, and I was really happy with how they came out.

Here are some photos from our wild and crazy day!

Cakes and Breads

SisMama's Cream Cheese Pound Cake: DEEEElicious!

Cookies and Brownies

Vegan Cookies

Vegan Cranberry Orange Macadamia Biscotti

Reindeer Bucket O' Biscotti sold out quickly!

Treats and more treats

Santa's Spiced Pecans surrounded by more goodies!

Huge thanks to our first SPCA Bake Sale Sponsor: CityVet!

Thanks to CityVet and to everyone who helped us raise a bunch more money for the SPCA of Texas!  We appreciate you and look forward to next year!

~BigSis

December 12, 2010

As I mentioned with great enthusiasm and anticipation last the week, our 3rd Annual Bake Sale for the SPCA of Texas is TODAY, Monday, December 13!  100% of the proceeds go directly to the SPCA.

Last year, our sale raised over $4,000 in one day, and we hope to repeat that success this year.  Here are the details:

Location: Dallas, Texas (If you can come, please email me for the address)

Time: 8 am until 6 pm or sell-out, whichever comes first!

If you can’t attend but you’d like to support the SPCA of Texas, you can contribute through this web page:  http://www.spca.org/bakesale

Thanks in advance for your support!  Stay tuned for photos and the scoop on the outcome of the day!

~BigSis

December 8, 2010

This December 13th will be our 4th charity bake sale, and the 3rd one we’ve done at Christmas for the SPCA of Texas.  Since I stopped eating and using eggs and dairy products this last January, I needed to find some great new recipes for this year’s sale.  We’ve been blessed with great success and happy customers that return year after year, so scrapping all of my old recipes and starting over was a daunting proposition!  I was especially motivated to find some fabulous goodies after a hater told me I’d be disappointed because no one would buy “that vaygan stuff”!

I bought several vegan baking cookbooks and did a lot of online research, and finally swooped into the kitchen to get my hands dirty.  I’ve been baking up a storm in my lab (aka kitchen) for the last several weeks, trying out new recipes.  The latest test: Oatmeal Dried Cherry Cookies adapted from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.

These cookies had a great flavor, and would have been excellent if I hadn’t over-baked them by a couple of minutes.  That’s why I test though.  I have a rule that I never make a recipe for the bake sale without taking it for a test drive first.

I’m pretty excited with the successes I’ve had.  I actually have well over a dozen things to choose from.  These are my favorite options.

• Cranberry Lemon Zing Oat Bars – The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes: Amazing Cookies, Cakes, Muffins, Pies, Brownies and Breads

• Super Moist Pumpkin Bread from Allrecipes

• Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Cookies adapted from Epicurious

• Spicy Peanut Brittle –  My Sweet Vegan: passionate about dessert

• Coconut Fudge – My Sweet Vegan: passionate about dessert

• Crumb Topped Brownies –  My Sweet Vegan: passionate about dessert

• Rice Krispie Treats with Almond Butter –  The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet

• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie with Peanuts and Almond Meal adapted from Cookie Madness

• Giant Wheat-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies from Cookie Madness

• Almond Toffee adapted from Cookie Madness

• Soft Peanut Brittle from Cookie Madness

• Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Bread from Babycakes NYC

• Gluten-Free Brownies from Babycakes NYC

• Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles –  Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone’s Favorite Treats

• Gingerbread Biscotti – Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone’s Favorite Treats

• Cranberry Orange Macadamia Biscotti –  Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone’s Favorite Treats

• Kitchen Sink Biscotti with Peppermint and Chocolate Chips –  Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone’s Favorite Treats

There’s much more baking to be done so I’m dashing back to the kitchen for more baking frenzy.  I’ll be back next week with photos from the sale, and hopefully a big donation to the SPCA to report!

~BigSis