I'm too old for this... ;)

Oy Vey did I have a doozy of a weekend (but it sure was fun!). I overindulged on Friday night and also stayed up waaaaaaaaaaaaaay past my bedtime. I paid for it the rest of the weekend. I just “had” to compensate with greasy food all weekend and lots of lying around doing nothing but recovering this old bod.

Last night I decided that I just needed to ‘detox’. Now, there is nothing about my ‘detox’ that is scientific in anyway, it is simply things that I’ve always done that make me feel better when I’m hungover, ill, or generally icky feeling.

I started with a dry brush full body scrub. Starting at my toes with a dry sisal brush and using short, firm strokes toward my heart I brushed my entire body. That always feels good. I do this a couple times a week anyway. Then I did something called a Hot Body Scrub that I read about in Alicia Silverstone’s new book, The Kind Diet. It is essentially scrubbing your body from head to toe with a hot, wet washcloth. It felt really nice and invigorating. I’m going to incorporate this into my grooming routine now.

After the double body scrub actions I took a nice steamy shower. I closed the door in my little bathroom to let the steam build up. I took lots of nice deep breaths and just relaxed and ‘detoxed’.  Afterwards, I applied some antioxidant serum to my face, moisturizer to the rest of me and put on my nightie and fuzzy slippers. I made some hot lemon-ginger water with agave syrup and sat on the couch while I soothed myself.

Finally, getting to bed at a decent hour, I woke up mucho refreshed and back to normal this morning! Yay. Just in time to start incorporating Alicia’s ideas from The Kind Diet, which I will talk about more this week.

Pumpkin Pasta Perfection!

Breakfast, lunch and snacks were the same today as Monday (except I didn't make juice and ended up super hungry all morning!). 

So- check out my new lunch tote bag: Smurfs! Only a buck in the $1 section at Target. It is the perfect size, just big enough to carry my breakfast and lunch and snacks to work and it is washable! I feel like I seriously scored with this find. My 7^th birthday party was Smurf-themed and I have always been a fan!

I also recently received a $50 Target gift card as a thank you for my roll on a project at work and I used it to purchase a variety of sizes of covered Pyrex dishes- to house leftovers in the fridge and freezer and to bring my meals to work. I got rid of all my icky semi-disposable plastic storage containers (recycled the ones my city program will except) and couldn’t be happier about my new containers. 

Another random tidbit- I donated blood last week. It was the first time since I have gone veg and guess what? My iron was higher than it has ever been in my blood-donating years! In fact, the last time I tried to donate when I was still eating meat- I got rejected because it was low! Take that people who freak out that I’m not getting enough protein or iron!

Now on to food: I made some seriously delicious Pumpkin Pasta for dinner tonight. I got the recipe from this post at The Palatial Palate. I subbed out whole wheat rotini for the penne since I had it. I also added two tablespoons of raw sugar because I like even my savory pumpkin dishes a little sweet. I also added the juice of one key lime to brighten it up a touch. Other than that I followed the recipe and it was super easy and I wanted to eat more, more, more!! I restrained myself though... I will have it again for dinner tomorrow- I think I'm going to have it for breakfast tomorrow, too! I'd eat it for lunch but I have a lunch date. :)

Everything I ate today!

Well Vegan MOFO is over and I did- eh- ok for my first time and without any planning, I guess. I definitely slacked off there at the last half of the month, but it wasn’t because I didn’t want to post or was too lazy. I was busy and due to the busy-ness, I just wasn’t making blog-worthy meals. Anyway, on to something new…

Since I log my food daily for Weight Watchers, I figured I could blog about it too. This way I can have a visual record of what I’m eating- and really see how balanced (or not so much) my diet is. What seems to be working, what leaves me hungry or tired, etc.

Yesterday I busted out and dusted off my grandmother’s old Champion Juicer (thanks, Grandma!). I made some carrot/apple/cucumber/key lime juice and it made me feel so vibrant and healthy! With the time change I was able to get up early enough this morning to make myself a nice glass- I added in some celery, too.

I juiced:

3 small carrots

1 large celery stalk

1 large cucumber

1 large jonagold apple

2 key limes

It made about 18 oz of juice- and about 2 WW ‘points’. A really yummy way to start off the day. I sipped this all morning- while I was getting ready for work and then on my drive to work and then finished it up at my desk.

I waited about an hour or so and then made myself a pot of coffee- when I say ‘pot’ I mean a tiny French press which makes enough for one mug. (I drink organic dark Sumatra- my all-time favorite!) I drank this with a splash of unsweetened soymilk, sometimes I use Silk Creamer- Original flavor. Along with my coffee I had a bowl of steel cut oats (I make a double batch the night before since it takes 30 minutes to cook) with soymilk. This was satisfying and filling for another couple hours.

Around 10 o’clock I had some jicama slices and fat free spicy black bean dip. This was so delish it was worth the effort of peeling and cutting the tough outside of the jicama yesterday. I sliced it up and now I have easy snacks for the rest of the week.

I ate lunch at noon-ish. I made something I’ve wanted to make since my veg conversion- Mock Tuna Salad. I made the recipe from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch which calls for grated parsnip and then some other typical tuna salad ingredients (celery, onion, sweet relish). While it is slightly reminiscent of tuna salad, it is absolutely delicious! I used just enough reduced-fat Vegenaise to hold it together. Spread onto two slices of Ezekiel bread it is a hearty lunch! (I have to admit that I ate it with a few potato chips- I just love a sammy and chips lunch- reminds me of childhood) Alongside, I enjoyed a nice navel orange.

By 3 o’clock I’m always ready for a snack so today I had half of a Sweet & Sara Peanut Butter S’more and another cup of coffee. I don’t often drink a second cup of coffee- but I’m babysitting a 6 year old and a 3 month old this evening… so I have a good excuse.

Dinner was one of my go-to and favorite stir fries. Szechuan tofu with sweet potatoes. I peel and cube a medium sweet potato and then partially cook it in the microwave (if I’m pressed for time- which is usually). Meanwhile I cook minced onion and garlic in a bit of cooking spray. When the onion is translucent I add the potatoes, then I add other fresh veggies- red or gold bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, whatever is on hand. Finally, I toss in a serving of Pete’s Soyganic Szechuan tofu (sometimes I use the teriyaki variety, sometimes I use plain tofu, but the Pete’s has just enough sauce to flavor everything and it is so easy). I add a dash of salt to taste and voila. I had it with a tortilla tonight because I was in a hurry to get to my sister’s house to babysit my darling baby niece and nephew. But I also eat it with couscous, quinoa, brown rice, jasmine rice, you get the picture.

I feel really good about today’s eats. Lots of produce, plenty of whole grains, plenty of water. And I stayed well within my Weight Watchers Points allowance.

And PS- I finally ordered Alicia Silverstone’s book since it apparently is not available at Borders OR Barnes & Noble in my town! It should arrive soon and I’m super excited to devour it. In the meantime I’ve been devouring her new site! Check it out- www.thekindlife.com

Ooooohhh- Curried Butternut Squash & Coconut Milk Soup!

I've been craving some spicy, autumn-y, creamy soup- even though it is still in the 80s where I live... it feels like fall...

I've had some frozen mashed butternut squash in the freezer for a while. Butternut squash is totally in season and this would have been awesome to use fresh squash, but since I had the frozen on hand AND it is such a time saver, I used it.

Here's my recipe:

• 1 T safflower oil
• one onion chopped ( I got a bunch of onions for free that someone at work brought in... we get a lot of random local produce around these parts- bonus!)
• one clove of garlic chopped
• 2 T fresh grated ginger root
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 c champagne
• 2- 14 oz cans veg broth
• 2- 14 oz blocks frozen mashed squash (thawed)
• 2 tsp raw sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp course kosher salt
• 1- 14 oz can light organic coconut milk
• 2 T lemon juice

Heat the oil in a large stock pot. Saute the onion, garlic and ginger until soft- about 5 minutes. Add the curry and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Add the champange and reduce for about a minute. Add the veg broth and stir. Transfer to a large blender and blend until veggies are pureed or mostly pureed. (a tiny bit of texture is fine). Pour back into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the squash, sugar, and salt. Cook 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cook 5 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and serve. Add more salt to taste if needed.

Voila! Delicious, easy, perfect-for-autumn soup! I will eat this for days with some hearty whole-grain toast spread with avocado. I might add some diced smoked tofu if I feel like I need a protein boost some days.

You really can't mess this up and the recipe isn't an exact science. You could experiment and add different spices- maybe some cinnamon or cardamon to autumn-it-up even more?

Vegan Chili & Cornbread Feast!

Vegan chili and cornbread- wins over the Omni every time!

I am not afraid to call myself an awesome chili-maker. I have been making chili for years. I rarely make the same exact recipe twice. My favorite is a three bean version that is a veganized hybrid of a Rachael Ray recipe and a Better Homes & Garden recipe. I'll make that sometime soon now that it is getting cooler around here...

I recently received a cute little print out of a Spicy Tofu Chili recipe from my co-worker and a little packet of Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy. See, the recipe was from the Mrs. Dash website or something. My co-worker knows how I love tofu, so she was sweet enough to print the recipe and give me the right amount of the Mrs. Dash so I wouldn't have to buy a whole bottle for the recipe.

I happened to have all the ingredients yesterday and decided to make it for dinner. (It's a super fast recipe!) I also whipped up a batch of Double-Corn cornbread from my beloved Better Homes & Gardens cookbook (I LOVE that book and it is what I grew up learning to cook from. So many of the recipes are incredibly easy to veganize!) All I did was use EB, soy milk, and egg replacer in place of butter, milk, and eggs...

So my husband and I usually eat different dinners- not just because I don't eat meat and he does- it's mostly because we just have different taste in foods in general. But he loves my chili and cornbread (all the different variations) so he was raring to go when I asked if he wanted to have it for dinner. He ate a big 'ol bowl of chili with chunks of tofu just brazenly obvious! :) I didn't even have to try to hide them, the chili was just THAT good! :) and the corn bread? I'm sure he never even thought there was anything un-traditional about it (even though he subconsciously has to know that there is...). He said, "This corn bread is GOOD." And proceeded to eat about half the 9x12 inch pan of it!

Mexi-Cabbage & Polenta

I LOVE cabbage. It is my favorite veggie, probably. I eat it almost everyday. I generally buy the pre-shredded 'slaw' mix that also has bits of carrot in it because it is so easy to throw into almost any dish and I really like it heated with BBQ sauce as a taco/burrito/sandwich filling.

So, when I saw that Lindsay of Happy Herbivore had a recipe for Quick Mexican Cabbage, I HAD to make it and it is now a total staple! It is a perfect meal all by itself as it is filled with veggies, beans, and awesome flavors! I made a huge batch of it and had it for dinner and then lunch the next day over sliced, crisped polenta discs. So delish! I have enough left for another meal soon, too.

Here is the Quick Mexican Cabbage in the pot. You can see the cabbage and carrots, black beans, corn...

Here are the (blurry, sorry) polenta discs- they are crisping up in a generous spray of olive oil cooking spray.

And finally, here is the finished product!

Bear Mush!

Bear Mush is actually just a cute name for Cream of Wheat. I really like cream of wheat! And I really like that Arrowhead Mills calls their hard red wheat cereal Bear Mush. It cooks up super fast and I can make it the night before and then re-heat at work in the morning. That's what this pic is... Bear Mush with soy milk and golden raisins in a coffee mug- at work. 

I am going to try some recipes a la Chocolate Covered Katie's fancy oatmeals. Check out the link to her adorable blog over to the right. I'm thinking Banana Brulee Bear Mush sounds pretty delish!

Veggie-ism Saves Lives!

I'm taking a break from blogging specifically about food I eat to talk about some AMAZING news I got from my mom today.

Although she is a beautiful 62 year old lady, with gorgeous silvery-platinum hair and hipster glasses, she has struggled with some health problems for a long time. She has suffered from very high (like dangerously high) cholesterol and the medicine she was prescribed for it made her feel like she was "dying". She is also diabetic and has to take medication for that. (those are the two main problems, but there are others...) My grandma died pretty young of diabetes/heart disease related complications, and my mom did not want to end up that way. I think five out of the seven of my mom and her bros and sisses have diabetes.

My mom has experimented with vegetarianism a few times in her life, but never really put her heart into it. Earlier this year she read Eat Right for Your Type, and her type (as is mine) is recommended to eat a nearly vegan diet. She decided to try it and became a vegetarian with vegan aspirations (like me!). She started feeling better. As I started to transition further into veganism, I'd share recipes with her and we also started going to lunch at our (one and only) local vegan restaurant about once a week or so. (she even got my 'very omni' dad to go to their weekend brunch and he's met us there for lunch during the week!)

Then I read Dr. Barnard's Reversing Diabetes, which advocates a vegan diet for reversing diabetes (obviously) and also pretty much every other health condition. After I read it my mom read it. She was convinced even more that she should be completely vegan. (she's not quite there yet, but probably about 90-95%)

So today she had a doctor appointment with her long time doctor- its been about 6-9 months since she last saw him- and guess what??? Her cholesterol is 148!!!!! That is nearly perfect! And before it was so high, even with the medication that her doctor was afraid she was going to die! Her blood sugar levels are very good, not quite 'normal' but better than they have been in years, and she has lost 10 pounds! Way to go MOM!! And all of this is with only about 6 months of a vegetarian diet and about 3 months of a nearly vegan diet.

If my mom isn't proof that eliminating animal products isn't amazing for your health, I don't know what is.

BBQ flavored soft tacos

On Mondays and Wednesdays I go to a three-hour long night class after work. I have about one hour in between work and class so I have to get home, relax for a sec, make dinner, eat, do any homework, chores, etc. and then drive across town to class.

Needless to say, I need a super fast but nutritious dinner on these nights. Almost every Monday and Wednesday I make my BBQ flavored soft tacos. They take about 10 minutes- max! and are soooo yummy, filling, healthy, and low in Weight Watchers points. :)

I start with a light spritz of cooking oil spray and saute a big handful of shredded cabbage and carrots (slaw mix). I add about a half of a nice red or gold bell pepper and let the veggies get crisp-tender. 

Then I add in one or two servings of LiteLife Smart Ground veggie protein crumbles. (I usually get the Mexican Style) Finally, I add about two tablespoons of BBQ sauce and heat through. 

I spoon this delicious mixture into heated tortillas. I LOVE white flour tortillas, but know that I should eat whole wheat or multi-grain more often, so I have one white and one whole wheat... 

It has been almost four hours since I ate these, and I'm still feeling satisfied!

Spicy Crusted Tempeh Bake

No post yesterday- I forgot to take a pic of my dinner before class because I cooked it and ate it while I was talking to my mom on the phone! But- it was delicious and simple enough to cook and eat while chatting, so I will definitely post about it soon. It is something I eat regularly.

But tonight, I finally made the Spicy Crusted Tempeh Bake I've been wanting to make for a while. It was good, too. I got a new stove top griddle/grill (it's reversible!), so I made it on that. Here's a photo of the potatoes and the crusted tempeh on the griddle:

I used chile powder, ground thyme and salt as the seasoning for the potatoes and the tempeh. For the tempeh I made some breadcrumbs and mixed in the spices before wetting the slices with water and then coating and placing on the griddle. I sprayed the slices with some olive oil cooking spray to help the crumbs crisp up a little.

The potatoes came out delicious, but the tempeh needed to be finished off in the oven (that is how it was supposed to be cooked- but I wanted to use the griddle so bad!). The tempeh was a little dry, but the flavor was nice. I dipped both the potatoes and the tempeh in BBQ sauce.

Next time I'll probably steam the tempeh first and then follow the recipe more closely, but all in all, for a quick dinner when I was starving after the gym, it was good. I should have had some veggies too, but I forgot till I was already eating it... :)