Howdy Y'all and Haluski, Yo!

Hello everybody.  I know: I suck.  I've been super busy since last month.  Had a ton going on with class, car troubles, and I spent spring break back home in Texas.  It was such a joy to go back to San Antonio after a year and a half.  I didn't realize how much I missed it.  Most of all, I missed HEB!  That is the best grocery store in the world.  Word.

So I'll fill you in super quick on where I am.  Last month, I picked up where I slacked off in February.  For the rest of April I hope to do the same.  Ha ha.

March Weight Loss: 8.4 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 21.4 lbs

I did my little happy dance when I found out I had crossed over the 20 lb mark.  I'm thinking about getting into more intense workouts because I'm getting a bit bored with the ones I've been doing...which is a good thing.

As far as food goes, I ate mostly raw for March and have recently started eating a lot of Indian, Ethiopian, Mexican, and Polish.  Yes...Polish.

While watching Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives one day I saw a woman making haluski.  It's a cabbage and noodle dish straight out of Poland and Slovakia.  It seemed super easy to recreate, so I looked at a recipe and just winged it.  I like the addition of dark, leafy greens for color and extra vitaminy goodness.

Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)
1 serving of pasta (penne, spirals, macaroni, etc.) cooked according to package
1/4 of a head of green cabbage, lightly boiled and rinsed under cold water, sliced
1 Tbsp vegan margarine
1/2 a small onion, sliced in half moons
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dark greens (my personal fave is kale), roughly chopped
1/2 cup vegan bacon, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Melt margarine in a skillet on medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until slightly browned. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the sliced cabbage and chopped greens. Cook until wilted and tender to your liking. Add the veggie bacn and pasta. Cook until heated through. Taste for salt. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings.

My favorite green to use is kale because it's so bright and bold.  I've also used red chard and it added a pinkish hue to the dish (see above picture).  I seriously loves me some haluski!

If you'll excuse me, I have at least a month's worth of blogs to read, Roswell to watch, and samosas to make.  Mmmm.

March Madness

Sorry I've been absent lately.  I've been getting refocused.  February didn't turn out the greatest when it came to my goals, and I had to sit down and assess what I did wrong.  I narrowed it down to these:

1. I didn't stick to my no alcohol rule.  San Antonio friend in town = drinkage.  I didn't overindulge, but when I let one thing slide, others tend to follow.
2. I had a bit of fried food the week my friend was here.  With the exception of some fries, I limited it to two pieces each time.  So one day I had two onion rings.  Another time two zucchini sticks...
3. I was also depending on gluten too much.  Apparently, sweet potato gnocchi with basil-parsley-hazelnut pesto is my weakness!
4. Most of all, I stopped doing pilates and kickboxing regularly.

February Weight Loss: 4.4 lbs
Total Weight Loss: 13 lbs

But the totally awesome thing is I lost 1/2 inch in my waist and hips...and 3 effing inches in my chest!  My back pain has eased a lot so that's great.

So this month I stepped my game up.  High raw.  Tons of walking.  Pilates and yoga with the occasional kickboxing.  I've also been putting my daily food/water intake and exercise on a site called Nutrimirror.  It calculates everything for you.  I've been eating the right amount of stuff, tons of healthy fats from nuts and such...so I feel good about it.

Mon 3-1-10
medium jonagold apple and 1 tbsp smooth almond butter
black grapes, 2 tbsp almond butter and agave
blueberry smoothie (from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen)
big green salad (romaine, spring mix, broccoli, cucumber, walnuts) w/ Basic Favorite Dressing from 500 Vegan Recipes (used Italian seasoning and added salt, pepper, and fresh garlic)
60 oz water
EXERCISE: 40 min walking, 1 hr Wii Fit (yoga and strength), and 30 min pilates.

Tues 3-2-10
green smoothie (spinach, kale, banana, dates, blueberries)
raw pb cookie bar (peanuts, dates, vanilla, salt)
medium jonagold apple and 2 tbsp almond butter
salad (cucumber, shallots, tomato, nooch, white balsamic)
8 oz almond milk w/ 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
50oz water
EXERCISE: 20 min walking

Wed 3-3-10
raw pb cookie bar and medium anjou pear
smoothie (blueberries, molasses, tahini, strawberries, kale)
coconut water
raw nori wrapped power wraps (curry flavor)
ginger snap larabar
big green salad w/ Basic Favorite Dressing from 500 Vegan Recipes (dijon insted of oil and same addins as above)
80 oz water
EXERCISE: 20 min walking

Well, I'm off to class.  I will be updating again today with a smoothie recipe and some other stuff.  Happy Friday!

Sushi Assassin and Allergy/Sinus Remedies

This week has been hell on my allergies/sinus troubles.  I've had to take those extreme allergy and sinus pills, so I've been walking around like a zombie.  I had to stop taking them because I barely had enough energy to go walking.  It was insane.

But I'm still on track.  In fact, I think I might shorten the rest of my goals to five pound increments because this is already going so much better than expected.  But I don't know.  I'll feel it out.

This weekend a friend flew in from San Antonio so we picked her up at the airport and four of us went out for sushi.  Let me tell you something about Era and our friend, Roy...they are sushi assassins.  Era especially.  It's like he's got a bottomless stomach when it comes to the stuff.  I think he ordered something like four regular sized rolls.  Alls I know is that they had to make about 4 or 5 trips to the table.  I enjoyed some agedashi tofu, inari, and the most beautiful veggie roll ever.

It seriously looked like a jewel.  The most brightest and beautifulest seaweed salad, cucumber, some carrot, sprouts, avocado, and some sorta pickled radish in the middle..all wrapped up in nori.  The radish was this translucent yellow.  Mmmm.

So, here's what happened last week.  I'm probably posting again today with the rest of this week.

Thurs 2-11-10
veggie scramble (yukon potatoes, red chard, creminis, roma tomato, and Italian Daiya)
acai juice
tofish taco w/ broccoli slaw, avocado, and cilantro lime crema
cinnamon puffins w/ blackstrap molasses and almond milk
2 bean and cheese chalupas w/ avocado, tomato, cilantro lime crema, and broccoli slaw
40 oz water
EXERCISE: 40 min walking

Fri 2-12-10
cream of rice w/ soymilk, evaporated cane juice, goji berries, cinnamon and vanilla
about 2 tbsp white choc peanut butter
hashbrowns w/ Italian and cheddar Daiya, gf bacn bits and broccoli slaw
french dip sammich (small baguette, sauteed onion, thinly sliced seitan, avocado, mayo, and dipping sauce) w/ a mixed green salad and balsamic vinaigrette*
60 oz water
EXERCISE: 20 min walking.  1 hour heavy duty cleaning (it counts!)

Sat 2-13-10
rice cereal w/ bananas and soymilk
chickpea flour pizza (sauce, gf bacn bits, Italian Daiya, cremini, kalamatas and fresh basil) w/ cucumber salad
goji berries
unsweetened plain soy yogurt w/ banana, pecans, and cinnamon Puffins
Irish breakfast tea, evaporated cane juice, and soymilk
40 oz water
EXERCISE: 20 min walking.  30 min Wii Sports (bowling, baseball, tennis)

Sun 2-14-10**
sliced potatoes w/ Italian and cheddar Daiya, gf bacn bits and salsa
agedashi tofu, 2 sm inari sushi, 1 veggie roll
40 oz iced tea
agua de coco paleta***
10 oz gingerale
1.5 glasses of wine
2 sourpatch kids
handful of tortilla chips
20 oz water
EXERCISE: 30 min pilates. 10 min skooling fools on Wii Fit Plus

*The French Dip was from Native Foods.  One of the best sandwiches I've ever put in my mouth.  And that dipping sauce!

**Not the greatest food day because of the wine, soda, and stale sourpatch kids (blech), but we were all hanging out and having fun.  Also, it didn't affect anything.

***Paletas are these Mexican popsicles made with fresh fruit, sometimes sugar, water and/or milk.  I got the coconut one that's made with coconut water and coconut cream.  It also had toooons of grated coconut.  So good.

So that's how last week went.  Depending on how many more of the sweet potatoes I attack, I may have even more blog action this afternoon.

Until then, I'd love to hear your home remedies for allergy and sinus problems.  Well, I'm off to get ready for class.

Daiya Hard Obsession

Howdy folks!  I took last week off because I did a bad, bad thing.  You know when you stick to your diet technically, but make a bunch of not-super-great choices?  That was me last week.  Eating a lot of processed foods because I was too lazy to cook.  Plus I was seriously slacking on the freshness.  So, I was at a plateau.  Instead of making excuses this week, I totally kicked my butt into gear again.  Thus, I have reached my first goal.  I am down 10.4 lbs as of this morning.  This means I can eat gluten again.  I haven't had seitan or non gf bread since December.  I'm proud I made it this long.  I might even do the robot.

Mon 2-8-10
cinnamon Puffins w/ soymilk and molasses
gf sausage crumbles and 1/2 cup applesauce
white chocolate peanut butter
2 small pears
2 tofish tacos w/ broccoli slaw and avocado
60 oz water
EXERCISE: 40 min walking, 30 min pilates, 35 min Wii Fit (rhythm boxing, balance games, step aerobics, and hula hoop)

Tues 2-9-10
lemon ginger herbal tea w/ agave
hashbrowns w/ cheddar Daiya and broccoli slaw
rice cereal w/ dried cherries, cardamom, coconut, and soymilk
strawberry banana smoothie
2 tofish tacos w/ broccoli slaw, avocado, tomato, and cilantro lime crema
60 oz water
EXERCISE: 40 min walking, 50 min Wii Fit (yoga, strength, and step aerobics)

Wed 2-10-10
chickpea pizza dough w/ tomato sauce and Italian Daiya
coconut water w/ peach & mango and 2 small Enjoy Life chocolate chip cookies*
quinoa veggie pasta w/ 5 bean salad & Italian Daiya and 1 tbsp goji berries
2 dk chocolate mint thins and Kashi's Mayan Harvest Bake (soooo good)
tahini coffee (from Vegan Comfort Food)
40 oz water
EXERCISE: 20 min walking

*I love these things.  Free of the top 8 allergens and these particular cookies are fruit juice sweetened.  So frickin good!

Okay.  Must talk about that Kashi dinner.  It's got plantains, sweet potato, kale, black beans, an 8 grain polenta, and it's covered in an ancho sauce.  The plantains MAKE this meal.  So ridiculously good.  I was not expecting that.

If  you can't tell, my latest obsession happens to be Daiya.  I don't know what it is, but when I have some in the house I'm covering ever'thang with cheezy goodness.  I ate pizza for breakfast yesterday!  Ridonkulous!  Especially since it wasn't leftover.  I made that chickpea crust (from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook) right before I got ready for class.  Hee hee.

I'm also obsessing over molasses.  Who frickin knew it tasted so good in soy and almond milk?!  Really good stuff.

Two things I think that are really helping me with this weight loss:
1. I'm finally thinking in small terms.  In the past, when I thought about all the weight I had gained things became seriously overwhelming.  Taking it ten pounds at a time and aiming for 8 a month helps me stay focused on small goals.
2. Not eating past a certain time.  These days I've been going to bed between 9 and 10 (because I get up at 6:30 to go for my morning walk).  I try not to eat a few hours prior to bed and it makes me feel more refreshed in the morning.

At the end of this, I'll definitely be talking about the things I've learned.  But for now, I'm concentrating on the next 10.  Well, I've got blogs to catch up on and a 4 day weekend ahead.  Awesome sauce.

One Month Down...

Can you believe January is over.  Time flies when you're old.  In the past few weeks I've discovered a ridonkulous amount of gray hairs.  Meh.  I'm not rushing to dye so they'll be staying with me for a while.

Things are going well for me right now.  I'm so close to my first goal that I can taste it.  I was hoping to get there by the end of January but I didn't quite make it.  But here are the stats.

January Weight Loss: 8.6 lbs.  Holla!

Sat 1-30-10
cashew tofu (celery, snap peas, baby corn, mushroom, bell pepper, and carrot) w/ steamed white rice
2 Irish breakfast teas w/ sugar and lite coconut milk
roast (yukon golds, carrots, shallots,celery, and chickpeas)
more roast
40 oz water
EXERCISE: None

The roast I made on Saturday was ridiculously good and so fricking simple.  I took 4 small carrots, 2 yukon golds, 2 celery stalks, 3 shallots, and a 15 oz can of chickpeas (drained) and threw them in a bowl (after chunking the veggies, of course).  I added a pinch of thyme and rubbed sage, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste then mixed it together.  Put it in a pan and covered the whole thing with 1.5 cups of veggie broth.  I put foil over the pan and placed in a 375ish oven for 35-40 mins.  Then took off the foil and cooked another 10 minutes.  The vegetables were like buttah.  Seriously melt-in-your-mouth good.

Sun 1-31-10
apricot halves
2 dark chocolate mint thins
1 sm pear w/ white choc peanut butter
2 chocolate mint thins
leftover roast
plain unsweetened soy yogurt w/ raisins, cinnamon, agave, and walnuts
60 oz. water
EXERCISE: 30 min pilates

Mon 2-01-10
spoonful white choc peanut butter, small pear 1/2 cup plain unsweetened soy yogurt
4 dark chocolate mint thins
rice cereal w/ dried cherries, cinnamon, pecans, and lite coconut milk
2 veggie sushi rolls w/ soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger and edamame
2 cups of unsweetened green tea
60 oz water
EXERCISE: None

My latest discovery is that a local store (Fresh and Easy) sells these awesome dark chocolate mint thins.  So good.  If you love junior mints or peppermint patties, these things rule!  I thought this was an awesome find, but somebody told me Trader Joe's has them and I saw the same thing in World Market today.  Not the same brand but the same thing.

I could live in World Market.  They always have really awesome finds.  From the incredibly good chocolate to a ton of vegan Indian food.  And they sell a ginormous thing of capers.  Digressing.

Tomorrow begins Operation: Sweetie Pots.  I'll be sure to keep y'all updated on my adventures.

Things to Do With Sweet Potatoes?

I have a ridiculous amount of sweet potatoes.  The box says 40 lbs.  So far I've only thought to do the following things: baked, sweet potato fries, and dehydrate for dog treats.  So any suggestions or recipes?  None that involve marshmallows or sweet potato pie, please.  Blech.

Besides swimming in sweet potatoes, I've been keeping up with my plan.  Since my internship is over and the new semester began, I've been trying to walk two times a day (before and after class).  I've also been doing cardio and a little bit of yoga.  I feel great.  My jeans are starting to get super loose and I feel stronger and more flexible when I stretch.  What a difference a month makes!

I don't feel like listing an entire week's worth of food so I'll just tell you about this awesome black bean soup I made.

I don't have a recipe but it was a pound of dried black beans soaked over night.  I added onion and garlic when I cooked the beans.  Once they were tender, I added ancho and chipotle chili powders, salt, pepper, liquid smoke, orange zest, chunks of carrot and celery, and frozen corn.  Once all the veggies were tender I added the juice from an orange.  So smoky and good.  I served it with polenta just because.

Exercise For 1-23 to 1-29
Sat: 20 min walking
Sun: None
Mon: 40 min walking
Tues: 40 min walking
Wed: 1+ hour cardio kickboxing and dancing
Thurs: 20 min walking
Fri: 40 min walking

I've surpassed my monthly goal of 8 lbs and am almost to my first goal, which means gluten is in my future.  When I start eating gluten again, I'm aiming for no more than twice a week at first.

Anyway, I hope all of you had a splendid January.  The month just flew on by!  More to come soon.

Sunny Days and Pear-Parsley Green Smoothie

Today I woke up and it was all sunshiny, so I finally got to get out and walk again.  We have been pounded with rain all week.  I'm talking non-stop, all day rain...in the desert.  By midweek, we had as much rain in a few days as we had all last year!  Of course, there is no drainage system here so streets were getting flooded and there were a lot of road closures.  Anyway.  So glad the sun has returned.

This week was pretty good as it applies to food and exercise.  I managed to do more intense workouts since I couldn't get out and walk, and I incorporated more fresh food into my diet.  I also discovered the joys of the coconut, cardamom, and dried cherry combo.

Wed 1-20-10
Irish breakfast tea w/ sugar and vanilla hazelnut rice milk
tofu omelet w/ meximeat, gluten free queso, avocado, and tomato
red beans and rice
red beans and rice w/ gluten free queso
rice cereal w/ coconut, cinnamon, dried cherries, and almond milk
yumberry & black currant herbal tea w/ cinnamon and almond milk
36 oz water
EXERCISE: 20 min walk, 30+ min cardio kickboxing, pilates, and yoga

red beans and rice w/ gluten free queso and romaine & orange salad w/ poppy seeds

Thurs 1-21-10

rice cereal w/ dried cherries, cardamom, coconut and almond milk

cinnamon cardamom herbal tea

tofu omelet w/ meximeat and gluten free queso

1 orange

Irish breakfast tea w/ sugar and almond milk

red beans and rice w/ gluten free queso and romaine salad w/ blood orange and poppy seed

baked sweet potato w/ chili and gluten free queso and romaine salad w/ catalina drizzle

EXERCISE: 30 min cardio kickboxing

Yesterday was my completion of the medical front office program so my class celebrated.  I ate some coffeecake (Vegan Brunch).  I also went to a buffet with the women of my internship.  But it was a celebration!  I did really well I think...considering.

Fri 1-22-10

rice cereal, coconut, dried cherries, cardamom, and almond milk

serving of chili limon potato chips, 2 jam swirl east coast coffeecake squares

casino buffet: salad (romaine, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, black olives and Italian dressing), fruit salad, 2 mini veg spring rolls w/ sweet chili sauce, fresh strawberries, spanish rice, slice of blueberry pie

chili w/ avocado

52 oz water

EXERCISE: None.

Now for that smoothie.  Usually when I make green smoothies, I just throw stuff into the blender and hope for the best.  Sometimes I end up with some truly foul tasting things.  But this was AWESOME.  Uh, measurements are guesstimates.

pear-parsley green smoothie

Pear-Parsley Green Smoothie

2 cups filtered water

1 very ripe anjou pear, cored and roughly chopped

2 tbsp raw walnuts

2 tbsp raw cashews

2-3 tbsp ground flax seed

3 dates*

giant handful of flat leaf parsley

Combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

*If it's not sweet enough for you, just add more dates.

Jillian Michael Pwnage

Muahahaha.  Ha.  Today I met a personal longstanding goal of mine.  There was this little cardio kickboxing dvd that I never made it through.  My attempts usually went something like this: turn it on after not working out for months, nearly upchuck after the warm up, turn off and never do it again.  This time is different.  I've been working out pretty regularly, eating decent portions, and drinking tons of water.  So I gave it a go today...and completed it!  And it was so much easier than I imagined.  ::happy dance::

This week has been a little harder.  It's been cold and rainy so I've not been walking as much.  Also not been eating much raw because I need me some hot food when it's freaking cold and moist (bleh) out.  But I am eating healthy and sticking to it.

Sun 1-17-10
rice cereal w/ 1 tbsp dried blueberries, cinnamon, almonds, and almond milk
white bean mash w/ parsley and garlic, low sodium green beans, and romaine salad w/ catalina dressing
2 pineapple rings
dark choc w/ ginger and 8 oz almond milk
millet bowl w/ chickpeas, potatoes, sundried tomatoes, and capers
60 oz water
EXERCISE: 40+ min kickboxing, dancing, jump rope, and pilates

Mon 1-18-10
millet bowl w/ chickpeas, potatoes, sundried tomatoes, and capers
English breakfast tea w/ sugar and almond milk
millet bowl w/ chickpeas, potatoes, sundried tomatoes, and capers
unsweetened pumpkin tapioca pudding w/ agave, choc chips and pecans
pear
unsweetened pumpkin tapioca pudding w/ agave, choc chips and pecans
40 oz water
EXERCISE: None

Tues 1-19-10
rice cereal w/ almond milk, cinnamon, and dried cherries
tofu omelet w/ Meximeat* (500 Vegan Recipes), gluten free queso**, avocado, and tomato
red beans (Kittee tester) and rice
60 oz water
EXERCISE: 20+ min cardio kickboxing, pilates, yoga

*used textured soy protein
**replaced the AP flour in my Not Yo Cheeze Sauce w/ brown rice flour

Not Yo Cheeze Sauce (Gluten Free Version)
2 cups water
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp mild chili powder
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)

2 Tbsp margarine
2 tsp brown deli mustard (stone ground works too but adds flecks of brown)
1/2 cup of your favorite red salsa

In a blender combine water, nutritional yeast, flour, garlic clove, and spices. Blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and heat on medium high, stirring frequently with a whisk. When thickened, remove from heat and stir in the margarine and mustard. Stir in the salsa and heat until warmed through. Makes about 3 cups.

More to come tomorrow or Friday.

The End of Week 2

I keep a food journal because I like to view what I eat and see when I made not-so-great choices.  What is truly insane was that I started a journal in 2008, when I was so certain I'd stick to a plan.  After viewing my many attempts at losing weight, I realized that these past 17 days have been the longest stretch of keeping a food journal active.  Yay me!

So, I'm just starting the third week and I am already feeling a difference.  It's so rewarding.  I forgot how great it feels to work out and eat well.  I'm not eating as much raw as I'd like because we are cleaning out the pantry right now, but I'm already more than half way to my first goal.

I try to measure stuff but sometimes I don't.  I also work really hard to have a lot of smaller meals throughout the day because my number one problem is not eating enough meals and making up for it with huge portion sizes.

sweet potato tapioca w/ crushed dark chocolate-ginger bar and almonds

Thurs 1-14-10

flax pancake w/ almonds, agave, and sliced pear

gluten free penne w/ garlic, lemon juice, & capers and a romaine salad
12 oz soy nog
2 pineapple rings
pineapple collards (Isa tester) and black eyed peas
60 oz water
EXERCISE: 20 min walk, 40+ min kickboxing, dancing, and jump rope

Fri 1-15-10

2 pineapple rings and 8 oz vanilla hazelnut rice milk

English breakfast tea w/ sugar and vanilla hazelnut rice milk

black eyed peas w/ sweet potatoes, pineapple collards, & brown rice w/ sriarcha

black eyed peas w/ sweet potatoes

1 cup unsweetened sweet potato tapioca pudding w/ pecans, choc chips, and almonds

green tea w/ agave

40 oz water

EXERCISE: 20 minute walk

white bean mash w/ garlic oil and parsley

Sat 1-16-10

1 cup unsweetened sweet potato tapioca pudding w/ agave drizzle and sliced peach

miso soup (gluten free penne, mixed veg, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, red miso)

1 cup unsweetened sweet potato tapioca pudding w/ agave, almonds, and dark choc w/ ginger

1 cup of rice cereal, cinnamon, dried cherries, and almond milk

white bean mash w/ parsley and garlic oil, low sodium green beans, and romaine salad w/ catalina dressing

English breakfast tea w/ agave and lemon

60 oz water

EXERCISE: none

So my latest obsession is sweet potato tapioca pudding.  It's something I just sorta made up.  Some of Era's students gave him a box of sweet potatoes and limas (a cross between oranges and lemons).  I had a monster sweet potater and was fiending for something dessert like.  I used minute tapioca (fat free), almond milk, cinnamon, ginger, and 1/2 a huge baked sweet potato.  I'll put up a recipe when I make it again.

Well, I just finished my workout for the day so I've got a date with Netflix.  Werd to the nerd.

Tag Team Back Again

Happy New Year!  Oh wait...  That happened, like, 13 days ago.  Sorry I've been absent lately.  I hope everybody had a fantastic holiday season and the most badass of new year's.  I spent the holidays watching far too many movies and munching on snacks.  I even have the crappy food porn to prove it.

Doesn't the 70's cookbook lighting make everything look so appealing?  Mmm.  Don't all lick your screens at once.

So the real reason I took so long is because this blog is changing focus sorta.  I am currently embarking on a weight loss journey (but for real this time).  I'm doing it for a few reasons.  The first reason is stress management.  Last year was one of the worst years of my life and I didn't really address any of the situations. All of that really took a toll on my emotional well being.  So I decided I'd change my perspective this year.  So far, all the working out has really, really relaxed me.

Secondly, my boobs are killing my back.  Rather than opt for the tempting reduction, I'd rather dance my chesticles off.  Nobody steal that phrase because I'm in a development deal with Bravo.  Not really.

Lastly, I'd just really like to get back down to my pre-relationship weight.  I gained A LOT over the past 6 years.   It has everything to do with getting more sedentary jobs, having a better understanding of what veganism offered, and complacency.  I aim to change that last one.

So far things have worked out well.  Right now I'm eating lots of raw and focusing on all whole foods.  Also no gluten, alcohol, unhealthy desserts, or tons of added fat.  As I meet each goal, I'll add something back into my diet.

Basically, I'll focus a lot more on health until I meet my final goal.  I figure now is a great a time as any.  Now I leave you with the apron I just finished sewing for my sister.  It's the second apron I've ever made so I'm proud.  NOTE: Please excuse the forced smile...totally forgot about the ten second camera delay.

VeganMoFo III: What I've Learned

Today was kinda horrible (personally, not healthwise) so I'll get to the good stuff.  I learned a lot about myself in the past week.  I'm just going to do this in list format because I love them and it's easier.

1.Relax-I really need to slow down and think about myself.  Two weeks ago I made a detailed schedule in order to fit writing into my day.  What I forgot to put on the schedule: meals.  What the hell is that?!  So, I will be redoing those schedules and getting myself into set feeding times so that I eat enough and don't feel like I'm forcing myself into my own schedule.
2.More Sleep-I really have to work on this.  Most people can live off of 7.5 or so hours.  But I really need at least 8 to function.  More than that is better.  I get so foggy headed and irritable if I don't sleep.
3.Convenience Eating-I always knew I was victim to this, but I realized grabbing a rice cake is enough to curb the hunger long enough to make a real meal.
4.Sweets-Probably the hugest thing is that I realized my addiction to sweet things can be controlled with fruit.  I never knew this was possible because I thought I had tried and failed before.  But a nice nectarine is so much better than a cookie.  More than that, I realized that baked goods aren't about the sugar as much as they are about the memories attached to them.  A-ha moment for realz!

In the end, what I wanted more than anything was to prove that I was in control of what I ate.  Mostly because I wasn't in control for a lot of my life.  So realizing what I am capable of gives me a happy.  I've decided that after VeganMoFo, I will continue on the healthy path.  Maybe not doing mosaics but definitely using this as a food/exercise journal.

Tomorrow is budget week and I'm starting with brunch!  So, I'm gonna try to get some sleep and leave you with this pic of today's breakfast.  They're gluten free yeast free waffles from Trader Joe's.  These were fan-freaking-tastic!

Oh, and I finally did that survey.  So tired right now.  Goodbye health week!  Hellooooo Cheapskate McGee!

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?

Almond milk. Plain Almond Breeze.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
Not sure, though I plan to do some stuff from Vegan Brunch this weekend.

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
Depends. Salt. Nooch, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
Uh, the very first time I made seitan it was like chewing gum...and it was stuffed! And I was serving my parents!

5. Favorite pickled item?
Okra fo sho. Last Thanksgiving we went to several stores trying to buy more pickled okra.

6. How do you organize your recipes?
My cookbooks are on a separate shelf from my other books. I arrange them by height because it drives me crazy if tall books are sandwiched between short ones. Did I not say I was neurotic?!  My internet recipes are organized by category on my computer.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
Trash, though I'd love to compost.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods...what would they be (don't worry about how you'll cook them)?
seitan piccata, something with chocolate, watermelon

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
Sunday breakfast that my mom used to cook, as long as it didn't involve omelettes (blech)

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
Purely Decadent Pomegranate Chip or Choc Chip Cookie Dough

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
Food processor

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Cilantro

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
How It All Vegan was the first one I owned. I got it 8 years ago.

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Raspberry

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
pesto pasta salad

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
I like seitan best but my stomach doesn't so...tofu

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
BRINNER!

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
cereal, foil, plastic wrap

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
jars full of various nuts and seeds, passion fruit vodka, and frozen peas.

20. What's on your grocery list?
I shop mostly based on the weekly menu. Stuff I always have: bananas, tofu, lettuce of some kind.

21. Favorite grocery store?
Clark's Nutrition is my one stop vegan shop.

22. Name a recipe you'd love to veganize, but haven't yet.
Hardee's cinnamon raisin biscuits

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa's because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
I don't know

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
Mambas or licorice

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
vegan caviar? Dr. Cow's little morsel of cashew cheese?

26. Ingredients you are scared to work with?
Natto. Just thinking about it creeps me out.

VeganMoFo III: 1 Week In

Can you believe it's been a week already?!  It feels like this thing just started.  So, I have a bit of a confession to make: health week is so much harder than I thought it would be.  Not just because I want nothing more than to be chowing down on a baked good, but it's a lot of work to photograph every meal of the day.  Blogging this late is exhausting.  So, no mosaic today.  But I have two photos.

Breakfast: oat groats w/ brown sugar, cinnamon, & a splash of almond milk

Lunch: red chard, mushrooms, & smashed potatoes and the juiciest, most ripest nectarine EVER

Snack: 1 rice cake w/ peanut butter, cinnamon & agave, piece of dark chocolate, almond milk, and 1 carrot

Dinner: Amy's minestrone soup with added Morton's lite salt

Water-3.5 or 4 cups.  It'll be more by bed time.

Notes-From the looks of it, I've lost two pounds.  But it could be less because I checked this morning pre-breakfast.  I need to start walking around the neighborhood again.  Maybe in the mornings.

VeganMoFo III: Humpty Dance Hump Day

So it's Wednesday and this week seems to be dragging on.  I'm not just saying that because I can't wait for budget week.  Nope, not at all.  Not sure, but I think the caffeine I had earlier today is making me nauseated.  I'm very sensitive to it because I rarely have anything with caffeine.  Honestly, I think the world is a much safer place when I'm not amped up.  I'm a bit crazy to begin with and I might scare the children.

Today was a great, happy, sunshiny day.  I am wearing hoodies to class every morning.  Hoodies!  Last week it was all schweaty ballz out and now it's crisp...even in the sun.  But I am longing for the cold, wet winters of San Antonio.  Any rain at all will do.  There is nothing like snuggling in the blankets with the puppies as rain pours outside.  They keep telling me that we should expect thunderstorms, but it's the desert.  I've seen it rain once.  I never realized how much I loved the rain until now.  It's the little things, people.

Breakfast: 2 pieces of celery, peanut butter w/ carob powder and agave, a nectarine, and English breakfast tea w/ agave and almond milk

Lunch: 2 slices pizza, spinach and pear salad w/ pecans and agave mustard dressing

Snack: half of a green smoothie (1/2 pear, handful of spinach, a leaf of red chard, and pepitas)

Snack(not pictured): half of a green smoothie and 1 small slice of pizza

Dinner: rice cake w/ peanut butter and raisins, an apple, bite of carrot, and apple cinnamon herbal tea

Water-5 cups

Exercise-Kickboxing

Notes-I couldn't finish eating dinner because I felt so sick.  So I drank some herbal tea to calm my stomach (as I'm out of ginger).  Today was a better food day.  I find it harder to drink enough water when I have other liquids, though.  I'm also not sure that I'm getting enough sleep, so I'm gonna work on that right about...now.

Oh, and one more thing:

Digital Underground - New Music - More Music Videos

Vegan MoFo III: Food Journals and Camouflage Grubbin'

This is just a quick post.  Just wanted to say that I really like to keep food journals because it's a good way to keep track of my eating habits.  I find I am more committed to staying on track when I can see how my body starts craving more fruits and veggies.  Today was crazy because I'm a huge procrastinator.  I ran out the door with breakfast, which I hate to do.

But today is just one day and I'll get right back on track tomorrow.  I'm saying that more for me than anybody else.  Hee hee.  One thing that today's mosaic taught me was that I was really not on top of my game.  I pretty much stuck with green and brown all day.  I didn't even realize it until I went to upload my photos.  Craziness.

Breakfast: 2 banana oatmeal breakfast cookies

Lunch: leftover kale, garlic smashed potatoes, and red wine roux

Snack: ginormous green smoothie (sweet potato, apple and spinach) with another breakfast cookie

Dinner(not pictured): pizza (mushroom, truffle oil, caramelized mushroom & daiya and veggie sausage, peppers, onion, & daiya)

Water-7.5 cups by bed time

Notes-I tried to get the fifth meal in today but was too full (that smoothie was insane) and off schedule.  Tomorrow I'm fitting it in.

Not the greatest food day, but I did get some green in.  That counts for something, right?  On a great note, breakfast is packed and ready for tomorrow so no excuses.

VeganMoFo III: Just Another Movie Monday

Oh oh oh.  I wish it was Sunday.  Seriously.  I absolutely loathe Mondays.  For some reason I always feel like I'm forgetting something which makes me feel rushed and uncentered.  Then my yoga was interrupted by my sister and husband, I thought I had wine for my dinner but didn't, and the sun went down before I could take pics of the food.  Bring on Tuesday already!  Ha ha.

This is the first Movie Monday and I am stoked about it because it's all about the vampyre.  Remember when vampires were the most feared creatures of the night?  Think really hard.  Long ago, before vampires were reduced to playing dominating high school sweethearts who get their bling on in the sunlight.  Yeah.  There was this movie called Blade II, my favorite of the series.  It has vampires killing vampires and so much kick assery, even Ryan Reynold's abs are jealous.  Wesley Snipes as Blade is as healthy as it gets.  That man just oozes bad assness out of his perfectly formed guns.  And tonight's menu is brought to you by the letter "v" for Veganomicon.  I'm basically killing two vamps with one stake, as the youth say.  I busted out some recipes I had never made before.  It was fangtastic!  One too many vampire references?  One.  One reference.  Two.  Two reference.  Two...a ha ha.  Okay, I'm done.

Blade II Menu O' Doom

Portobello Stakes covered in Vampyre Guts (roasted portobellos and red wine roux from Vcon)

Lower Fat Garlic Smashed Potatoes (mashed potato variation from Vcon)

Daywalker's Detoxifying Kale (lightly steamed kale, balsamic vinegar, and toasted pine nuts)

Chilled Holy Water

I sincerely apologize for how shiny my dinner looks.  It was quite tasty, though!  I had never made those roasted portobellos before, and my life is all changed because of them.  So freaking good!

Breakfast: 1 nectarine, 1 rice cake, crunchy almond butter

Lunch: spicy blackeyed peas & greens, ginger mashed potatoes & apples, and apple juice

Snack: 1 carrot, 1 celery stick, miso tahini dressing (Vcon), chai tea w/ agave and a splash of chocolate soymilk

Dinner: roasted portobello w/ red wine roux, steamed kale w/ balsamic and pine nuts, garlic smashed potatoes

Water-6 so far

Exercise-A little bit of yoga

Notes-This is the second day I've missed my fifth meal so I had to sit down and make a food schedule.  Yes, I'm a little insane.  I also think I may need to get some working out in before class in the mornings.  Maybe.  Getting up that early makes me cranky all day.  I'm turning off my phone tomorrow when I work out either way.

Well, I got a date with my pillow and season 4 of Weeds.  Good night, yo.  Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky-tacky...

VeganMoFo III: Domingo! Domingo! Domingo!

What a busy Sunday.  Laundry, working out, catching up on the dvr, and I still have homework to do.  SERENITY NOW!  Today marks the beginning of health week.  I'm going to be eating sensible meals and posting mosaics of my daily intake.  Of course my attempt to be sensible for MoFo means that a bunch of blogs were posting pictures of chocolate chip cookies and delicious looking cupcakes today!  I think I did pretty good, though.

So why health week?  I have been trying to lose the same amount of pounds for years.  I never really struggled with weight until I was 13.  It was a domino effect for me.  I got really depressed and stopped being active which caused me to gain weight and that caused certain jackasses to torment me for being "fat" which caused me to turn to food which made me gain weight...  The list goes on to self loathing and EDs, but this isn't supposed to be a buzzkill.  I became healthy mentally.  I was at a completely comfortable weight in my early twenties but gained a bunch when I started working full time office jobs instead of restaurants and retail.  Honestly, I really don't have an ideal weight.  I just want to have a wider variety of clothing to choose from.  Especially bras.  Is there a certain rule that says anybody above a "c" cup only gets black, brown, and nude for a color?  Digressing...

My strategy when it comes to losing weight is super simple: love what you're doing and love what you're eating.  I don't believe in deprivation.  I know how that forces a person to just give up all together.  So I try to eat 4-5 small meals a day and drink tons of water.  If I have a craving that just won't quit, I'll make a healthy version of it.  When it comes to exercise, I do what makes me happy.  I'd rather spend two hours on the elliptical than to run for 15 minutes.  I hate running with a passion.  Unless there's a psychopath wielding an axe behind me, I take no comfort in it.  So I like doing cardio kickboxing and walking around the neighborhood and pretending like I can play tennis on Wii.

At the end of the day, I'm really good at being healthy and losing pounds...but horrible at the follow through (story of my life).  I guess the main thing I have to learn is that one misstep does not mean all hope is lost.  So if I falter on this journey, I'm no longer throwing in the towel.  Enough with the jibber jabber....

Breakfast: 1/2 an apple and 1/2 a pear, 1 tbsp peanut butter (held by a monkey)

Lunch: romaine, tomato, cucumber, and cilantro salad with hot sauce coated baked tofu, salt, lime juice
Snack: banana oatmeal breakfast cookie (VCIYCJ tester), chocolate soymilk
Dinner: spicy black eyed peas & greens and ginger mashed sweet potatoes & apples (Isa weight loss testers)

Water-10 cups
Exercise-45 minutes on elliptical while watching Buffy.  The beginning of Willow and Oz...squee!!!

Coming up this week: Wesley Snipes, raw food goodness, baked falafel, repollo, pear and zucchini soup, and how to turn your fridge into a salad bar.

31 Days Later...

My first phase of the raw journey is complete. One month at 99% is done! I did my happy dance already. I've lost 11.4 pounds and am completely stoked. I'm going to get in gear with the exercise tomorrow. I'm hoping to get Wii Fit in the next few weeks.

Anyway. I tried a few things the past couple of days. I have experienced sprouting, which used to be a foreign concept. Actually, it still is. But in a few days I shall have delicious raw pumpernickel.

The other day I felt compelled to make oatmeal. I slightly altered Ani Phyo's Banana and Raisin Oatmeal recipe by adding some cardamom and drizzling with agave. So frickin good. The texture is right on. I felt it was even better in the dehydrator. There is no way I can eat oatmeal (raw or not) if it's cold. I can definitely see myself playing around with this recipe and eating raw oatmeal from now on.

Next, I decided to make a soup from The Artful Vegan. I made a raw version of the Chilled Avocado, Tomatillo, and Cucumber Soup with Saffron-Lime Ice. It was tasty. I had to subsitute lemon juice for the lime, so I imagine it would taste even better next time. I didn't seed my jalapeno all the way and it left a nice spice to it. Basically, this soup reminds me of a tomatillo sauce. It would probably make a damn good topping to enchiladas. The saffron-lime ice was especially fancy. It melts into the soup and creates these gorgeous orange swirls. I love when my food has movement and purpose.


Today was my first day eating cooked food in a while. As I said before, I'm dropping down to 75% raw. Surprisingly, I didn't go all crazy on the cooked goods. I had been thinking about KMouse's "tuna" melt for days and decided to make my own. The rice singles I used didn't get all melty though. But it was awesome. Below is the recipe for my own version of Chickpea "Tuna" Salad.


Chickpea “Tuna” Salad
15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup raw almonds
¼ cup Vegenaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp kelp powder
1 Tbsp dill relish*
Up to ½ cup veggies of your choice, small dice **
Salt and pepper to taste

Process the chickpeas and almonds in a food processor until everything is good and chopped. Add the Vegenaise, lemon juice, dijon mustard and kelp powder. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as necessary. Place chickpea mixture in a medium bowl. Stir in dill relish and diced vegetables.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

* For the love of all things holy, put DOWN the sweet relish. It is an abomination to all things good.

** I usually add celery and carrot, as I’m not a fan of onion in my “tuna.” If I’m feeling saucy, I add red bell pepper.

I served the "tuna" melt with Mattye's Mustard "Potato" Salad from Frugal Raw. This was awesome. Kalamata olives, onion, dill relish! Nice. Jicama replaced the potatoes, which worried me at first. But there really is a lovely flavor going on. Plus her raw mayo is super smooth. A little trick saved me a bunch of time. The recipe calls for soaking cashews over night. Instead, I placed them in a coffee grinder and put them in a blender with the liquid ingredients. I let it sit for about ten minutes.

That is all I have for now. One day soon I will make a recipe for that raw miso soup I promised. Until next time...

I Didn't Even Have to Use My AK

Ice Cube doesn't have anything on me.

About a month ago I decided to change my life. I felt a need to gain control of my eating habits. I'm not trying to go too deep with this, but I've struggled with eating disorders for about 13 years now. Raw seemed like the logical leap to gain a better food perspective. I usually run to fasts to lose weight, detox and regain control. But this time I wanted to stay away from deprivation.

At first, this was definitely hard. I'm from Texas. We likes our food cooked. How I longed for a damn taco. Or good god! CTate's queso. However, something really clicked for me. I started seeing food as less of a thing to be feared and more of a thing to be cherished. I got so many great ideas about how to deal with food. It never dawned on me to use collards in place of tortillas. And raw desserts opened up an even better option. I am definitely a person obsessed with sweets. I feel like I have to have something sweet every single day. Sometimes fruit just doesn't do and raw desserts/smoothies give me a healthier alternative.

I feel different. More energized. Less bloated. I feel almost weightless. And I have done jack in the way of exercise for the past week and a half. I'm eating more fruits, vegetables and nuts. This is fantastic because I was relying far too much on soy and wheat gluten to get me by. I'm also loving the fact that I still feel satisfied eating unprocessed foods.

If you've ever considered a walk on the raw side, challenge yourself to do this. For a week. For a month. Whatever the amount of time, I guarantee you will look at things differently. In less than a month (with very minimum exercise) I'm down 11.4 pounds and up in energy like you wouldn't believe.

Okay. I'm gonna step off of the raw soapbox now.

Last night I did a little Vegan Mofo research. It's only a few days away. I watched Kissing Jessica Stein because it will be my "dinner and a movie" movie. So many great ideas. How stoked am I? I'm a ridiculous amount of stoked. Yay!

In my next blog, I'll upload pictures of the incredibly fancy/easy soup I made from The Artful Vegan yesterday. It involved tomatillos, cucumber, avocado and saffron-lime ice. It was garlicky goodness.

If you'll excuse me, the two Coreys are calling my name. That's right, I'm bout to watch Lost Boys: The Tribe. I wonder if watching it after the original would only make it even worse?

On Veganism and Weight Loss

There's this common misconception that converting to veganism will produce automatic weight loss. Just like an omni change in dietary lifestyles, it really depends on the individual. Some people lose a bunch when they first cut out animal products. Others stay the same or even gain some pounds. I think it really depends on two things: your diet before veganism and how you eat once you become a vegan.

I first went vegan at age 19. At that time in my life, I was very active. I was in college, involved in a comedy troupe and the poetry scene, had a restaurant job, and went to clubs every weekend. I literally danced my ass off. I suppose it also helped that I was completely unaware of the versatility found in a vegan lifestyle. I spent the first couple of years thriving off of fresh fruits, vegetables and tofu...with the occasional soy lunch meat thrown in a sandwich. I hated reading labels so I stayed away from a lot of sweets and breads (which have always been my weaknesses). I lost about 40 pounds and was at the lowest weight of my adult life at 138 lbs.

Once I discovered decent vegan dessert recipes, however, it was over. Around that same time I got engaged. The stress of the wedding and my new passion for cooking made for a substantial weight gain. I topped the scales at 218. On my 5'3" frame, it was ridiculous. Some people are a healthy 218. I had trouble walking up stairs. I couldn't fit any of my clothes. And I was genuinely unhappy.

It took me several months to get below 200. I'm about 40 pounds away from my goal weight. So I thought I'd share some pretty universal weight loss tips. These work for me, but it may not work for everybody.

1. WATER is essential to weight loss. It's the foundation of life, so don't skip out on this. I've always had a love/hate relationship with water. As a wee lass growing up in South Texas I wouldn't drink it. I was often dehydrated to the point that I couldn't move. I went to the doctor once because my sides had been having sharp pains for days. He told me I was constipated. I think that day definitely changed my perspective on the whole water thing. Drink 8-10 eight ounce glasses a day.

2. EXERCISE is a word that used to make me cringe. I have gym fear. I have workout clothes fear. I don't like to run. And I hate to see skinny people workout. A couple of years ago, I took a cardio kickboxing course and realized how much I loved to work out. I don't like the typical stuff, though. I walk, do pilates, kickbox, dance, bust a fool down in Wii Boxing... It's really possible to make your exercise regimen work for you. Try to, at the very least, walk for 30 minutes a day. It makes a difference.

3. I don't believe in depriving my body of anything. I'm a foodie to the core. When I want to lose weight, I simply incorporate more RAW AND LIVING FOODS into my diet. I do this for a few reasons. First, they offer a lot of fiber...and more fiber equals healthier poop. Also, they are filled with nutrients and sunshine. A lot of raw foods are packed with water as well. I also like the lack of preparation. Throwing a salad together or grabbing a piece of fruit is much easier than cooking something for an hour.

4. The one thing I learned from LA Weight Loss was this: 5 SMALL MEALS A DAY really aids in weight loss. It's common sense people! If you eat throughout the day, you will always feel satisfied. Ravenous hunger will kill a weight loss goal in a minute. This happens to be the hardest step for me. Sometimes I get so stuck on what to eat that I forget to even do so. Like now...it's almost 7 in the PM and all I've had is a handful of raw crackers and some peanut butter/carob/agave nectar concoction.

5. VERSATILITY is the key to happiness. A decade ago, while taking home economics, I learned that your plate should be as colorful as an Alaskan day is long. More colors and versatility equals more nutrients and vitamins. I also think it saves you from a dull fate and the boredom that often comes with a weight loss plan.

6. While I don't believe in depriving yourself of food, I do believe in watching SALT AND SUGAR INTAKE. I don't do iodized table salt because I think it's kinda gross. I stick to sea salt. Usually, I keep it to a bare minimum and add just enough to make the flavors pop. As for sugar, I'm currently using dates and agave nectar as sweeteners. This is a helluva lot more expensive than plain sugar, but I don't crash after and I feel better in general.

Above anything else, I really feel like you should listen to your body. It will definitely tell you what works for you.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to go find me some food right now. For shame.