Lazy days

     I would like you all to know that when I say lazy days, I don't mean in every aspect of my life. Only my cooking was lazy today. I was actually working very hard, and because of that I didn't want to give too much energy to cooking. So I ate left-overs for lunch and snacked for dinner. I would also like to point out that Brett wasn't hungry for dinner when I got home, so he was not neglected at all.
     Now on to my meals. Wednesday's dinner was really quite simple. I started by cooking some whole wheat penne pasta. While that was cooking I sauteed green and yellow bell peppers, onion, zucchini, and portobello mushrooms in a bit of olive oil. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and italian seasonings. When the pasta was done cooking I threw it in the pan with the vegetables and added some pasta sauce and a tablespoon of vegan cream cheese. Once it was all incorporated I put it in an 8x8, covered it in vegan shredded cheese, and baked it at 350 until it was nice, warm, and melty. (Vegan cheese doesn't melt the same as regular cheese, but it is still tasty)

Wednesday's meals:
Breakfast- Steel cut oatmeal with flax seed, brown sugar, and almond/coconut milk
Lunch- Left-over mushroom gnocchi
Dinner- Creamy baked pasta with sauteed vegetables
Snacks- Chocolate peanut butter muffins

This is the chocolate peanut butter muffin recipe (http://www.egglesscooking.com/2009/10/13/vegan-peanut-butter-muffins/) They are seriously SO tasty! I wouldn't even know they were vegan if I didn't make them myself.

Thursday's meals:
Breakfast- Cold cereal with almond/coconut milk
Lunch- Left-over baked pasta
Dinner- A chocolate peanut butter muffin

I know that it seems pretty pathetic that I ate a chocolate muffin for dinner, but it was just one of those days.

If anyone has any suggestions or questions please feel free to comment!

Shopping spree!

     If there's one thing I've learned through this process it's that being vegan isn't hard if you have the right kinds of food to cook with. Yesterday I went shopping at a health store called "Wealth of Health". They have all sorts of natural remedies, vitamins, supplements, and whole foods. And my absolute favorite part of the store is the back. Here they have all sorts of fun foods like vegan cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, ice cream, etc. Needless to say I had a lot of fun grocery shopping yesterday. Here are the fruits of my labor:

In my goodie basket: veganaise, coconut milk ice cream, vegan cream cheese, vegan sour cream, silken tofu, vegan shredded cheese, nutritional yeast, powdered egg replacer, and a few other things you can get anywhere (red curry sauce and coconut oil cooking spray).

I've really been missing these food items. It's hard to eat burritos without sour cream. Or make sandwiches or wraps without mayonnaise.

     After I got home with all my goodies, I had to decide what amazing meal I would make first. It was getting kind of late and I needed something fast. So i decided on making a mushroom gnocchi. Gnocchi only takes 3 minutes to cook, and I figured it wouldn't take me too long for the sauce. I first sauteed up some onion garlic and portobello mushroom until the onions were clear. Then I added some white cooking wine, almond/coconut milk, and a few tablespoons of flour and cooked it down until i was a nice thick reduction. (Don't worry, I cooked all the alcohol out of the wine). Then when it was the right consistency I added a tablespoon of vegan cream cheese, a tablespoon of vegan butter and seasoned with salt, pepper, and italian seasonings. Right before it was finished I popped the gnocchi into a pot of boiling water and cooked them until they floated to the top. I threw the delightful little gnocchi's into the sauce and let them suck up all that savory flavor. I enjoyed them with some fresh green beans and a dinner roll. 

     And that my friends is why it isn't so hard to be vegan. If you still don't believe me you should come spend the evening at my house.

Tuesday's meals:

Breakfast- Cold cereal with coconut almond milk

Lunch- Lots of small snacks, nectarine, grapes, almonds, fried polenta

Dinner- Gnocchi with a creamy(vegan) mushroom sauce

 

     Stay posted for some exciting and delicious recipes in the next few days!

Just another manic monday

     Today wasn't really that manic, I have just had that song stuck in my head since I heard it on the radio earlier today. Today was a somewhat productive day. I skipped out on Zumba this morning because I have been super tired. I'm probably going to keep this post short and sweet so that I can go to bed in just a minute.
     Breakfast and lunch were pretty ordinary, but we got to share dinner with my wonderful friend Orchid. I made tofu fajita burritos. They were delicious and very filling. I waited too long to decide what to make for dinner (because I was cleaning the house a lot today). And when that happens I usually end up making some type of taco, burrito, or just random stir fry. I sauteed some red, orange, yellow, and green bell pepper slices with onion and tofu in a tad of olive oil. I added salt, pepper, and cumin for flavor. Then I heated up some black beans and cooked some brown rice. Throw it all together in a tortilla with some diced tomatoes and lettuce and you have a lovely dinner!

     I remembered half way through dinner to take a picture :)

Monday's meals:
Breakfast: Steel cut oats with flax seeds, brown sugar, and soy milk
Lunch: Leftover teriyaki tofu with coconut rice and mixed vegetables. (There wasn't a lot left, so I added some tofu.)
Dinner: Tofu fajita burritos
Snacks: Grapes, almonds, and left over oatmeal cookies.

I'm really enjoying how my body is feeling. Other than not getting enough sleep (which is totally my fault, I just love to stay up late with my wonderful hubby). I do notice more energy throughout the day. By the way I am down another pound. 4 lbs. down in a week and a half! I'm loving my new lifestyle!

Happy Fathers Day!

      Happy Father's Day everyone! I posted a little collage of Brett and Simon pictures the other day, but I wanted to give a little shout out for my fathers today. I have been so incredibly blessed with the men in my life. I had a wonderful caring father, and after he passed I was blessed with the best bonus-dad anyone could ask for. I love you Billy, and I love you Daddy!

     Saturday was a pretty eventful day. It started out with me waking up and getting ready to go to Zumba. Only problem was that the Zumba class was cancelled and was instead being held after some parade in Rigby. But I had a nice 30 minute drive to start my day off. When I got home Simon was awake and Brett was feeding him breakfast. After he finished breakfast, I made some steel cut oats for myself and an omelet for Brett. After we had both finished eating we went on a family bike ride. It was such a nice way to start off a Saturday. I think we biked over 5 miles. My legs were feeling it at the end, and I was really glad. If I wasn't able to do Zumba I'm glad my legs could get a good workout.

     After getting ready for the day I packed up my stuff and headed to Rexburg for a baby shower and to do a facial for some college girls. I didn't get home until after 5, and Brett and I had been hoping to go on a date. We couldn't find a sitter, but decided to get dinner to-go and then watch a movie (Megamind, Brett's fathers day present) after Simon went to bed. 

     We went to Rumbi, island grill. It was so good! And they have tofu on their menu! It was a nice treat after driving around trying to find somewhere with good vegan options. There is one vegan-friendly restaurant in Idaho Falls and most of the dinners are around $25 or $30 a plate. So we decided to leave that for another time. 

Saturday's meals:

Breakfast: Steel cut oats with flax seeds and brown sugar

Lunch: Veggie wrap; lettuce, tomatoes, red and yellow bell pepper, and avocado wrapped in a tomato basil tortilla wrap.

Dinner: Hawaiian teriyaki tofu with grilled vegetables over coconut milk rice and red beans. Oh and it was accompanied by a delicious mango lemonade.

     Today was very nice. I had to play piano is sacrament meeting for the primary program. I was super nervous, but I at least ended the songs on the right notes. Then we went to a friends for a father's day BBQ. I brought some pasta salad, and that was the only vegan item there. I was really glad I brought something to share, otherwise I wouldn't have had anything to eat. 

     After the BBQ we went and visited Grandpa Ringel and Grandma Verdene. Simon really enjoyed being there and was having quite a fun time showing off. He's pretty darn cute. 

     Overall it was a really lovely Father's Day. Oh I almost forgot. Kitty was almost eaten today. Apparently our neighbor's (a few doors down) pit bull terriers know how to escape from their yard and wanted to enjoy kitty for their lunch. The neighbors across the street told me that they were chasing kitty all around our yard and cornered her several times. She managed to make it into a bush to hide where the dogs couldn't reach her. I'm just really glad she is okay. That would have been a very sad thing to happen on Father's Day. But besides that little ordeal it was a really nice day.

Sunday's meals:

Dinner: Pasta salad made with tomatoes, broccoli, red and yellow bell peppers, and italian dressing

Dessert: Vegan oatmeal cookies (http://ohsheglows.com/2010/09/11/the-ultimate-vegan-oatmeal-raisin-cookie/)

The cookies turned out pretty good. I didn't have any raisins or anything yummy to put in them (I really need to find some vegan chocolate chips) but for being made without milk, eggs, or butter, I think they turned out pretty well. And I think Brett enjoyed them too.

     This weekend was a little trying on me. It is hard to go out to eat and see all the delicious options that I used to love. But I am really happy with how things are going. We will just have to do things like go bowling or watch a movie for our dates now, instead of going out to eat. It is just too painful.

     Well I hope you all are enjoying this journey with me. I know I am. Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful fathers and grandfathers out there!

Temptations

     If you got on yesterday or this morning expecting to see a post and didn't, I am sorry. But I have been staying up way too late to write at night. A lovely reminder from the best bonus dad helped me to really see this. I think I am going to start blogging in the morning, when my mind is fresh and I remember events from the day before.
     This weekend has been great! To be honest I'm having a little difficulty remembering exactly how Thursday and Friday went, but I know they were good. Summer in Idaho is so nice! Not too hot, not too cold. And when the sun shines, there's nothing better. When Brett came home for lunch on Thursday (he works 5 minutes away so I get to see him for lunch every day), we all went for a little family bike ride. We have a super awesome InStep bicycle trailer for Simon! And he absolutely LOVES it! At some point I will take a picture of it. We are planning on having many many more bike rides.
     My Thursday evening was a little jam packed with me running around like a chicken with my head cut off. So we ended up just grabbing some fast food on our way to Rexburg. If there's one thing I learned this weekend, it's that fast food restaurants are not the best place for a vegan to go. Especially not Arby's...
     This vegan process has been actually pretty easy. That is up until Thursday night. Having to sit in the car next to Brett eating a cheesy roast beef sandwich made me feel a little jealous, sad, and hungry. I guess this just means I can't be lazy about dinners. Oh and I have a little funny story about my salad too. I had them not put chicken on my salad, but forgot not to ask for cheese. So while I was smelling the fragrant fumes from Brett's sandwich I was tediously picking grated cheese strands from every nook and cranny of my salad. It was pretty pathetic.

Thursdays meals:
Breakfast: Cold cereal with soy milk
Lunch: Fried tofu, brown rice, black beans, avocado, and tomato wrapped in a tomato basil tortilla wrap.
Dinner: Garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Dessert: Fruit salad and soy milk ice cream
Snacks: Grapes, almonds, chocolate soy milk

This is Thursday's lunch. It was scrumptious. 

Friday's meals:

Breakfast: I know it is so boring, but I had cold cereal again. It's just so easy.

Lunch: I'm pretty sure I just snacked all day on Flour tortillas with vegan butter and cinnamon sugar (I had a sweet tooth), grapes, and nuts.

Dinner: Tofu chili and vegan cornbread.

For the chili I kind of just made it up. I started by sauteing red and yellow bell peppers, onion, and tofu in olive oil. Then I added a can of kidney beans, a can of corn, and some home canned tomatoes. I added some tomato paste and some water and finished it all off with some chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. It was quite delicious.
Here is the cornbread recipe:
http://www.theppk.com/2007/10/vegan-cornbread/
It's not fantastic... but it doesn't have milk or eggs in it...

     I think I am going to save all the exciting things that happened today for tomorrow's blog. And I will start a new habit of writing one day at a time the morning after.

     I hope everyone has a wonderful Father's day. I am grateful for all of my fathers and my incredible husband who is an amazing dad.
This is the day Simon was born. Being held by his proud daddy.

Being a dad can be tiring some times. But naps always help.

Simon likes to play at the park with daddy!

And dad likes to show Simon how to play video games.

But most of all they just like to spend time with each other.

Zumba, sunrises, and tofu tacos

     I really need to quit postponing my blogging until after 11:00 pm. I find that the more tired I am, the more severe my writers block is. But even with a non-functional brain I managed to come up with a title that isn't just counting how many days I have been eating only vegan food. In  case you were wondering I am writing about days 5 and 6. It has almost been a whole week and I am feeling fantastic! I am down 3 lbs. and feeling so full of energy it is amazing!
     Yesterday was a little bit of a lazy day. We had gone to bed really late the night before, so when I woke up with my energetic little one year old I was not ready to be up for the day. I fed him and made him go back to sleep. We both slept from 8:00-10:00 am. It was a very much needed nap for the both of us. And it allowed me to rest up for the busy day that I had today.
     My day today began at 5:30 am. I popped out of bed right when my alarm went off, I put some exercise clothes on, threw my hair in a pony tail, applied deodorant of course, ate an energy bar and left for Zumba. If there's one thing I love about summer, it's how early the sun rises and how late it sets. As I was driving to class I got to enjoy a beautiful Idaho sunrise. It was the PERFECT way to start out my day. And because I got up with the sun I didn't feel tired at all today.

Tuesday's meals:
Breakfast- Honey bunches of oats with almond milk.
Lunch- Fried tofu soft taco/burrito with refried beans, brown rice, avocado, tomato, and sauteed mushrooms.
Dinner- Portobello mushroom cap marinated in balsamic vinaigrette and grilled. Served with brown rice, green beans and grapes.
Snacks- Almonds, chocolate soy milk, and grapes.

This is my lunch on Tuesday. I feel like I have been eating a lot of Mexican inspired food. But it is just so easy to get a complete protein with beans and rice. And what goes better with beans and rice than a taco?

And this is Tuesday's dinner. It was thrown together pretty quickly, but the mushrooms were hearty and full of flavor.











Wednesday's meals:
Breakfast- Energy bar before workout and almonds and chocolate soy milk after. (I realized after I got home that there is milk in the energy bars...
Lunch- Tofu tacos with black beans, brown rice, avocado, and tomato. And later a veggie sandwich.
Dinner- Potatoes, tofu, tomato, and avocado all cooked up together and thrown on a plate. I was in a hurry...
Snacks- Almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas(pumpkin seeds)

     I kind of had 2 lunches today, because I got up so early and only had a snacky breakfast. I made tacos around 10:30 and went out for a business lunch with some girls at 1:00. I didn't take a pic of my veggie sandwich, but it was pretty much just a sandwich made with veggies...

     Dinner was kind of just thrown in a pan and onto a plate. I was in a bit of a rush to get to my success meeting tonight. And I didn't even take a picture. I got a little hungry while at my meeting, so i snacked on some nuts and seeds. And when I got home I made Brett a burrito and stole a few bites. 

     I have to say that I am really loving this journey. Even though  some of my food may seen a bit repetitive it is all so tasty! If you have any questions about recipes, please feel free to comment and ask. 

I might as well finish off this post with an adorable picture of my beautiful family!

These are the people I would do anything for. They are fun, silly, wonderful, and mine! We're always playing around here. Because what is the point of life if you don't have joy. I hope that the changes I am making in my life today will allow me more time with these incredible people!

Days 3 and 4 (I need to be more creative)

     So apparently I like to wait 2 days between blogs. This isn't intentional. I think it's the procrastinator in me trying so very hard to keep me from staying on top of things. I was going to post something last night, but ended up chatting with sisters and then deciding to go to bed instead of staying up late. Tonight is different. I just got home from Zumba and am on a bit of an endorphin rush. So even though it's late and I should be sleeping now, I think I will stay up and document my days instead. Okay, i just have  to put in a little side note for Zumba though. It is so much FUN!!! And I can seriously feel the burn!  That is my exercise throughout this process. In case you thought I was just going to change what I eat and nothing else. Don't worry people, this is a total 180 degree flip for me! My life will never be the same!
      Okay lets get down to business now. This week has been so wonderful. I am feeling so great! I feel like I am a better wife and mother now too. I really believe that when you take care of yourself first, you will be more fit to take care of those around you. We usually think of motherhood as such a selfless thing, (and I do believe that it is). But when I take the time for myself to put good food into my body, to exercise, to have special time for meditation and for the Lord I am able to then give 100% of the rest of my time to my sweet baby boy and wonderful husband.
     Now onto my meals. Let's see if I can remember what I ate yesterday (It's a good thing I have been taking pictures).

Sunday's meals:
Breakfast: Honey Bunches of Oats with coconut milk (I bought 3 different kinds of milk so I don't get bored of any of them)
Lunch: Fried polenta with sauteed mushrooms, onions, avocados and tomatoes.
Dinner: Whole wheat rotini pasta topped with grilled portobello mushrooms, grilled onions, and tomatoes. Topped with a white wine vinaigrette sauce with fresh basil, dried rosemary, and a mix of italian herbs. With the most delicious honeydew melon I've ever tasted.
Dessert: Some chocolate peanut butter soy milk ice cream. I really shouldn't buy any more of this. Even though It's not made of cow's milk it still has a lot of calories...

Pictured here is my lunch. What you see is only half of what I ate. I just remembered to take the picture half way through my meal.

And to my right is dinner. Our friend Robby was able to join us because he was in town for a class. He approved of this meal. I do have to agree. It was quite tasty. I really like using portobello mushrooms. They have such a dense meaty texture.








Monday's meals:
Breakfast: Honey Bunches of oats again. But this time I had it with vanilla almond milk.
Lunch: Fried polenta with sauteed mushrooms, onions, refried beans, cilantro and tomatoes. I know it looks similar to lunch from the day before, but I was in a hurry and it was very accessible.
Dinner: Tofu and portobello fajita burritos.
After-Zumba snack: Water and grapes

As you can probably tell by the name, tonight's dinner was kind of an experiment (most of my cooking usually is). It started out as fajitas and turned into burritos when I realized that I wanted a bit more substance. I seasoned(salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin) and grilled up some extra firm tofu then sauteed some portobello mushroom, green bell peppers, onions, and carrots. Then I heated up some refried beans and cooked some brown rice. I threw it all in a tortilla and called it a meal.

     



Tonight's dinner really needed some vegan sour cream. I am definitely going to have to start planning all of my dinners for the week ahead of time. Also I think I will be needing a vegan cookbook. If anyone has any suggestions I would love them. If not I will probably go to Barnes & Noble and check out the options.







     Well we didn't have any crazy incidents these last two days (surprisingly). But I am really loving life. I can't wait to see where else this journey takes me! And I'm glad that all of you are coming along for the ride.