Cook With Music

As many of you know I'm a new Vegan, its been about 3+ months now, and I'm loving it.
I still consider myself a "n00b" and I learn something new with every gathering I have with fellow vegans. Going into this experience I knew that I was going to learn to cook. Something I had not done well in the past, I must admit, the first few attempts were definitely a learning experience for me. But now I have a favorite dish which I make, its a cooked Kale with a Peanut Butter sauce that I make. The PB Sauce is a recipe similar to a Sudanese dish my mother used to me when I were lived back in Sudan, it gets better every time.

Not everyone has that "spark" to cook, some flat out don't enjoy it. I cooked out of necessity when I needed, either I cooked a can of whatever, or I would be hungry that evening. So when I spoke with fellow Vegans before I joined the Vegan Living Program, "cooking" was pretty much "Step 2", after deciding to be a vegan.

For a while, that alone kind of scared me of making the switch. I couldn't cook rice in a rice cooker, and that actually happened. So in my mind, if I had to cook for my self, then being a vegan is basically culinary suicide for me. Needless to say, I was not a fan of "cooking", it just wasn't a talent I possessed. But I had to find a way to make it enjoyable, and I don't care who you are, "music" can make any task enjoyable.

Now, one of the main ingredient of any complicated dish I make, is a killer playlist. I have little speaker in the kitchen, so all I do is plug them into my phone, choose an album, an artist, a playlist, or put the whole damn thing on shuffle, and hit play.
I would recommend choosing a particular album you like, or create a playlist of tunes you really enjoy.
This helps in two ways in my opinion:
1- Time will seems to slip by as you are cutting up your vegetables, or boiling your water. A little hip shaking can go a long way :)

2- Since you are listening to music you enjoy, your brain will associate that joy with your activity. There fore positively enforcing "happy" with "cooking", voila.

I am no scientist, but I have done this myself, I now look forward to choosing an album and making my dishes, it really works.

Try it out some time, the worst thats going to happen is that you will have a good time making your dinner :)
I'll blog you later.


Much Love
Mosno Al-Moseeki
www.mosno.net | The mosBLOG | Insta/Tweet: @mosno_music

Vegan + Boot Camp = Raw Strength

Mosno here,
 Yesterday I experienced my 1st day of Boot Camp, exercise Boot Camp that is, courtesy of The Boot Camp Girl Stephanie Dignan :), who ALSO happens to be a fellow Vegan.

It was quite an experience, and I loved it.
The community of people there are very kind and supportive of each other. They were giving me tips, and hints to help me through out the work out. You are never competing with others, you are only competing with YOUR self, to get better, and stronger. 

I've lost a lot of weight since being Vegan, and that has allowed me to have MORE energy, which makes sense. Since the food that I'm eating is healthy, and doesn't contain chemicals and animal products, my body is able to process it faster, and with less energy, which then leaves you with all the energy you get from the food it just processed, hence the extra energy.

One cool think I enjoyed about my 1st day at Boot Camp, is that we exercised OUTSIDE! You read you read that right. The weather was nice, so we as a team decided to take advantage of this and do the workout out side. I got to run my 1st mile, EVER. it took me about 13+ minutes. It was tough, because I'm not a runner, but I'm determined shave that number down, and Boot Camp will help.

Stephanie actually sat down with me and we spoke about what it is that I am looking to accomplish, that way she can help me cater to those needs. Another cool thing about this Boot Camp, is that they have these workouts at different locations, and with different instructors..this means you can go to any of them (or all of them) 7 days a week, and with each instructor you will get a different work out. So no boring routine, which is brilliant. :)

I wanted to thank the Vegan Living Program, for bringing Stephani to talk to us, and I wanted to thank Stephani for the raffle which I WON for a free 2 week boot camp with The Boot Camp Girl. You can actually win a FREE MONTH, so visit their site www.TheBootCampGirl.com and enter to win

I'm a little sore, but I will be going to a 6am workout TOMORROW, after I rock out a gig TONIGHT.
Is it crazy, maybe, but I won't get MY results drinking soda and watching TV.
Lets DO this! :D

More posts at my Vegan Musez Blog
Much Love
Mosno :)

New Vegan Checking In and Going Strong!

What an incredible journey! What set out to be 6-weeks has absolutely changed my life and the lives of those around me. For three of my six weeks, my daughter, her fiancee and the kids ALL became vegan! Although I'd exposed them to some of the information that I've learned along the way - they found compassion and sympathy for the animals they could relate to and removed pigs, cows and chickens from their diets for what they say is forever, still no dairy BUT have opted to eat fish. I picked my battle and decided more livestock free from slaughter is better than nothing, I'll keep trying.

My friends and family all respect my lifestyle, they've stopped questioning me and now just call me "The Vegan!"

What I find most bizarre is how my cravings have changed, hangovers used to require some greasy dead fried animal (not that I'm hungover often - Wink! Wink! ) but now, I crave strawberries and bananas and boom headache gone!

Speaking of headaches, I've suffered from migraines all of my adult life, doctors have associated it with my menstrual cycle and told me for years it was hormonal and I basically had to deal with 4 days of brain squeezing pain EVERY month, I haven't had a migraine since my diet changed, I'm thinking dairy played a role. WOW!

I woke this morning at 3AM and wanted a baked potato (really baked and not microwaved, thanks to Brenda, I haven't used a microwave, since she told us about the health issues associated with those machines!) and I wanted a LOADED one, sooooo black beans, corn, rice, broccoli, Earth Balance Vegan Butter, sea salt and black pepper and YUM!

New Vegan Checking in and going strong! 

Second Nature : Journal

Hey everyone, Mosno here,
It has been at least a couple of Weeks since I gradutaed from the Vegan Living Program, and I'm still going strong with regrets.

I'm proud to say that I have become accustom to finding vegan options in places, even thinking on the spot how to veganize certain dishes on any restaurant's menu with ease.

It has become second nature to me to go to Giant to grab lunch instead of a Burger place. I'm fond of snacking on Peanut Butter topped Rice Cakes with a side of fruit or a feeshly made smoothie. It doesn't feel like a "chore", it actually feels good, it feels...right.

Many of my friends know that I'm a vegan now, and they respect my choice, and I love them for that.

I was talking to a friend of mine at an open mic the other night, and when I told him that I'm now vegan, he asked me how difficult it was. I proudly shared the knowledge I've learned, and went the extra step of picking up the menu of where we are and showed him all the vegan options under his nose.
I have to say, I was a bit impressed with my self hahaha.

I'm sure my adventures have only begun, I can't wait.

Much love.
I'll blog you later

Mosno Al-Moseeki

Breakfast Conversation

Hey everyone, Mosno here,
 Last weekend I visited my family, and informed them that I am now a Vegan. It was hilarious, and I got asked a LOT of questions. But one question my Mom asked me was "What do you have for breakfast?", many things were suggested, including Oatmeal, Peanut Butter sandwiches, and cereal.
I never really thought much about it, because I'm not a "breakfast" kind of person. Of course I was brought up with the "knowledge" that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I was also taught that Milk does a body good. I'm learning that NOT everything I've been told has been quite true.

Today however, I woke up, and was a bit hungry, so I wanted "breakfast". In the morning, I'm a very light eater, so I needed to find something light & delicious to go with my morning tea. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at my quick vegan breakfast options at the Giant food store.

I found crunchy granola & seed bars with chocolate chip chia from "Kashi", which are totally Vegan. I read the ingredient AND used the "Is It Vegan" app, and it said "DEFINITELY Vegan". Brilliant.
I know they have other products that contain milk & honey, but I was very happy to find a sweet vegan option. Woho. I'm now having that with my spiced chai tea, with a little bit of vanilla coconut milk.

This is one aspect of Veganism no one told me about, the sheer joy when you unexpectedly find Vegan options for what ever it is you want! it really does brighten your day :)

Have a lovely rest of your day.
I'll blog you later.
[Vegan Musez]

Much Love
Mosno

Graduation : Journal

I am SO excited and feel SO empowered right now. Yesterday (April/19/2014), I officially completed my 6 week pledge of being a Vegan. It was a lovely afternoon, my fellow Pledgers & I got to walk the stage as we were handed out certificates & our coaches cheered for us, it really was a lovely ceremony.

Many of us talked with each other, and spoke of our life transforming experience, and many asked "What now?" which is a very legitimate question.
Lucikly, Brenda has a monthly Meet-Up called the Veganism Support Group, in which each month she would organize a Pot-Lock event, in which Vegans & The Vegan Curious could get together, network, and discuss which ever topic is chosen for that meet up.
I do believe being connected to the community directly is important. My awesome coach Ben, and his lovely wife have extended their support to me, and we are thinking of having a little Vegan Game Night in the near future, sweet.

As for me, I have decided to STAY Vegan. I feel healthier, more energetic, and all the other Vegans I have met have been nothing but amazing, and kind people. In fact, I have already decided that next year, I WILL be a coach with VLP. I'm also going to continue writing the Vegan Musez blog, to document my experience, at least for the 1st year. I'm sure I will eventually find a more direct way to connect my Veganism to Music, and once that happens, watch out world :)

Today I'm going to be visiting my family, who are of course Middle-Eastern, I will be dropping the Vegan Bomb on them. I'm not sure how they will take it, I'm pretty sure I will be getting the "side eye" from everyone, I wouldn't be surprised if I become the central topic of many jokes, but I take comfort in that. I never did do things "normally", my moto for life has always been "Be a prototype, Not a stereotype". If they want to live in their little comfort bubble, that is their choice, but just like they make their own choices, I also make my OWN.

I feel like my experience hasn't ended, from this point on, it will only extend because now my Vegan choices aren't to simply honor the program, but it is to honor my self, and my fellow Earthlings.
From this point on, I am conscious, present, and Vegan.

I can not thank Erin, Brenda, & Alli enough for this life changing experience, you gals & the lovely VLP coaches are truly angels, and be warned, you have created a Vegan Monster!
Thank you Vegan Living Program Team :)

Much Love to you all, and my experience will continue on the Vegan Musez Blog
Sincely, The Plant-Based Sudanese 3rd World Rock Star,
Mosno Al-Moseeki :)

Ut Oh - I sound like a Vegan!

Many found it bizarre or even found a reason to question my intent when I posted last regarding finding my passion.  We've heard time and time again that we've all taken on these 6-weeks for different reasons. 

My "why" was simply, let me see if I can do this for 6-weeks? In the process, I've met some amazing people, learned a priceless amount of information, tried new and interesting alternatives to my previous meat-eating diet AND found my "why!" 

Brenda did a kick-ass presentation last week, no fact particularly more profound than another for the exception of the image of the fried chicken leg, next to an ummmm....CHICKEN! Yuck! 

I've eaten lunch in seafood restaurants, opting for the fried green tomatoes, making certain that there was no dairy and no animal products, no chef, i'm sorry I do not trust your breading, so he brought me a label, no eggs, no milk, wheat/soy product. I'll take TWO! 

At work, they set out donuts for them and Oreo's for "The Vegan." 

Calling animals what they are and not the "label" helps, they are cows, pigs and birds...beef, pork and chicken just sounds better!  I rode by a Popeye's Fried Chicken Restaurant and instead of yum, yum good - I could only think of bloody, dead chickens, why would I want to eat that? 

Something happened last week. Something happened that made eating animal flesh very unattractive and inhumane. My earlier posts compared me to a lion, a lion that eats a gazelle. I am not a savage, flesh eating animal. I am not superior over another living, breathing being. My desire is to share the place we've been given to dwell together in harmony. I work hard to maintain my level of fitness and athleticism, why then would I not want ONLY the best to enter my body, the best being what I was intended to eat since creation fruits, vegetables, grains and beans... ut oh - I sound like a Vegan!