Unexpected events

Sunday night I get a text from my sister. She is 30 weeks pregnant, already on basic bed rest status. She fell and needed to go the ER. I met her up there, and have been with her almost ever since. She fractured a rib, baby and Mommy are fine, but taking care of her toddler became too much do handle on her own now.

Sunday night (or Monday morning since it was 2AM by then), I found myself at Walgreens (she getting her prescriptions), attempting to find Vegan food. lol I ended up with a box of Kashi, two cans of nuts, one plain almonds, one plain cashews.

Well Monday I ended up eatting and O'Charley's salad, with steak in it. I was so sick from not eating my good foods, but had to have some protein. I spent the night at my own house and had a Vegan dinner.

Yesterday though was so crazy busy and I've not had time to figure out how to do this. She lives an hour from me, so I've basically moved in for a few days. Yesterday I had brought food but didn't have any time to prepare it. I cleaned her house, laundry, helped with my nephew, took her car in for emissions test and to the court house for it's new plate stickers as they were about to expire.

I ended up doing breakfast at Fast food, and late lunch early dinner at Fast food. UGH I feel really crappy, because already those foods do NOT sit with me well.

Today though I had my asuka beans soaking all day yesterday, so already I have a pot of those. I'm working on my Miso soup, and have fixen's for a salad, and a nice bread. That will be lunch and dinner today. I had Kashi with rice milk for an early breakfast. My nephew is an early riser.

Anyhow, with all this going on. I've not had time to post old pictures, hadn't cooked to take new pictures. And I've definitely had a day and half of less than Vegan life. I can't wait for my soup to be ready, and I'm really looking forward to much lunch.

I'm not sure how to deal with Vegan and crazy chaos yet. Being so new at this I didn't have any back up plans in place for such events. I do not know my sisters area having never lived over here. So I do not know where to get anything quick for Vegan.

My husband is going to take my daughter grocery shopping today. She will be coming to help her aunt out for several days while I go back home. She wants to make sure she can stay on the plan, unlike what happened to me. I'm so happy for my husbands support of her and my adventure. :-)

Well that's all for now. Reality may not be very inspirational, but this is an honest blog, tee hee.

Friday night

I've been a bit busy. I've taken pictures, so they'll be catch up images later. All three of my kids are sick right now, and this morning I woke up with a sore throat and running nose. So doc says it's allergies, and well Spring is here. April is usually my worst month for seasonal allergies.
At any rate, I won hockey tickets on Thursday, for that same night. I was out running around most of the day, but I managed to do pretty well. I had left overs for breakfast, and made my own take on Alicia's Miracle soup. Which was wonderful, and helped everyone feel better. Then for dinner ate out with my husband. I decided I needed one vice/treat in all of this, something I didn't give up, but that I knew would be a limited treat. That one thing is my love of fried oysters. So we ate out at our favorite Cajun place in Cool Springs. I indulged in a simple plate of fried oysters and curly fries. I didn't eat very many fries though.
Where I found my temptation though was at the hockey game. So much snack food everywhere. I did not cave though. I looked around and observed that most of the people eating at the game were not looking very healthy, and the healthy people were not eating. I let that keep me on track.
When I got home my daughter was pretty sick, so I went out to our 24 hour Kroger and got her some night time medicine. Yes, the Krispy Kreme donuts were trying to call to me. Instead I went to the organic isle and bought some nondairy ice cream options. Two small containers one chocolate one carrot cake. I bought some more green organics in produce, some bread the best least ingredient fresh they had. Not perfect but decent.
Came home, and let myself have a little ice cream and slice of bread with Tahini. A reward for avoiding the cotton candy and things at the game.
Today I woke up sick allergies or cold? Anyhow, I indulged in lazy behavior and had 3 slices of toast with barley tea, from 9AM to2PM, instead of actually making myself something good. I was tired, and nauseated, and took the easy road. Not proud of myself.
So after that I heated up our left over soup, and ate a nice hot bowl and all the veggies. Which of course actually made me feel good. I also put a bowl of Asuka beans to soak for dinner. I made beans with carrots (because I was out of squash that did not go bad but was actually all eaten whoop whoop! ;-) . ), and pot of Quinoa, which I added fresh basil and pine nuts too. Made a big green 'complicated' salad. My husband ate it up! I was so happy, then we realized it's not that different from red beans and rice. Having grown up in Louisiana a favorite of his anyhow. :-) Sweet.
Oh and complicate salad, is the opposite of a 'simple' green salad. ha ha Meaning I'm putting LOTS of fun veggies, and add ins into my salads these days. Even tossed on some shelled hemp seeds for good measure.
So I feel pretty OK, as I had a veggie filled soup and well balanced dinner. We also spend the evening watching Jamie Oliver try to take back America's school lunch's. Go Jamie! Food revolution! (which got my youngest to actually eat some of the dinner I made tee hee).
I'm going to forgive myself for indulging in too much bread today. I have to say it was far better than my previous life of things I indulged in. I am back on track though. I wanted to be accountable to my blog, be honest about how this really goes. When I ate my dinner tonight made with all single ingrediant foods, I felt really good about it. I felt really good I had made a simple basic great tasting meal for myself and my family, and didn't let my morning mess up side track me any longer. ;-)
I'm very happy I've got two dinners down I know my husband enjoyed enough for 2nds. My daughter is eating everything, even when she doesn't like it best. My boys are still picking at their food. Middle son ate all my soup though! AMAZING because he hates veggies the most. ha! So you never know where the small victories will come in. ;-)
OK I MUST get some sleep. I promise more photo's less chatter next post. good night

Guest for lunch

Today I had invited a singular guest over for lunch. I just wanted to have a relaxing, beautiful meal with a good friend. It's a wonderful spring day, opened all the windows, and cooked for an hour. I made the 2nd version of the recipe on page 238, and I threw in some black beans I had left over to insure we had some nice protein in our meal. I made a fresh pot of miso soup, a side of steamed asparagus with buttery spread (vegan) a little fresh lemon juice. I also added in a slice of whole grain bread with Tahini spread lightly. For dessert we had left over plum soup, page 280. BTW Plum soup is to die for, had it for the first time last night, and my whole family loved it. It was so good and comforting on our cold evening, the perfect dessert!

Oh and yesterday, we had left over Alice porridge, steamed bok choy with olive oil and umboshi plum vinegar. For lunch we had Mexican out, we order the vegetarian fajitas's, but had them leave off the sour cream, waa laa vegan. lol Dinner ended up being some left overs, I wasn't very hungry and neither was Miranda. We had been out all day, two doctors visits, and needed to do some shopping. So we were too tired for cooking fresh. I did repurpose though her Polenta dinner from the other night (page 222). I took a pan and put a light amount of Safflower oil, and just took squares of the Polenta casserole and fried them slightly. It was really better the 2nd go around!

I will confess though, I got a hormone driven migraine yesterday. Since I was out and had no way to vegan relieve it, I got a coke from Sonic drive thru and took two Excedrin. It did what I needed to, kept me functional, but it also kept me up til 3AM this morning. So I'm still off kilter from that. I get these once a month, but had not prepared myself with a natural option. I won't be caught off guard by one again. ugh At any rate, my first junk food that soda since I started.

OK back to the BEST part, food PHOTO's! lol

Here is the Plum soup. I added more apple juice than it called for, maybe my plums were bigger than she imagined in the recipe, seems to me it's just about right. So I think use your own good judgement on how much apple juice based on the size of your plums. ;-)

This is steamed butter nut squash, ready for mashing, on the other side of the pan, onions, garlic, shitake mushrooms, black beans. All what I then added to the pasta. My take on the recipe I made for lunch today. It was delicious.

Today's lunch.It was so delicious and my Vegan fearful guest ate everything I gave her and loved it! I followed up this with Plum soup dessert. I gave her the fine food restaurant  experience. Oh and made her Barley tea sweetened with Maple sugar (expensive to sweeten but oh so good).
Now to finish up all the dirty dishes. lol

Lunch of our own

So yesterday, we took some organic blue tortilla wraps, tore into piece baked, and we had chips! They were so good. We layered with black beans, rice, and all kinds of wonderful green things, as well as red cabbage, and salsa. No cheese, no sour cream, not even Vegan options. I'm amazed how I'm not missing dairy? I really thought I would be dieing w/o it and miss it so much. So far so good.
Last night I wasn't hungry, so I had whole grain toast with Tahini and jam. That's it I was good for bed. We all have our hungry days, and our not hungry days.

This morning was left over Alice porridge, and steamed bokchoy. I really need some miso soup didn't have any all day yesterday. I'm definitely having it for lunch.

Here is the picture of yesterdays lunch. Delicious! 

So here is Friday night's dinner after the zoo. A big salad, just everything we threw in including zucchini, a side of simple black beans. Radicchio Pizza Page 144 only we didn't have enough Radicchio so we used red cabbage, good enough. It was the truffle oil that was amazing! It was a filling treat, though not superhero. A meal Miranda had added to my shopping list. That is why I thought it was perfect for Friday Family night pizza. Kept me on the path, and that's what counted!

Mochi, it was cooking too fast, my daughter was making the recipe for the first time. The second try was much better. Still edible though. page 237. I tell you this is like mini french toasts, its so good! She followed th directions exactly and it's perfection. Yum!!!

Grandma's garden

I never knew it at the time, but I think I came at the end of an era. I had two Grandma's that had BIG gardens. They garden all year, and canned and fed their families from food they grew primarily from home. Even into their older years, both of them worked as long as they could.
How many benefits are there from that life back then? Both lived to be pretty well along, both had five healthy children. I remember how good the food tasted, and the things they introduced their city dwelling Granddaughter too. Anyhow, I was at the zoo with my children and we visited the house there, an old farm with a large garden and I photographed the sign. I pondered that life, and how good it would be to live in a similar manner.
Maybe after I master this new way of eating, I'll master suburban gardening. ;-)

Monday morning

This morning we are having Alicia's Soft Rice Porridge, and some steamed greens. I'm past the exhaustion, loved waking up to a really clean kitchen and am ready to tackle my day. I think we will be cleaning out the left overs and seeing what we can do with them for lunch today. I'll let you know.

Sunday night on the eve of my first week

I haven't up loaded my latest pictures yet.
I tell you I hit burn out after Friday evening. We spent six hours at the zoo, which was wonderful! When we came home, it was too more cooking. My kitchen was still behind from running out on it to the zoo in the first place. By the time we had dinner, (pizza Vegan style), I was too tired to even care about the kitchen. OK not true I cared I just didn't have the strength to do anything about it.
I had work to do after I got everyone else off to bed, it was my computer editing time for my job. So I was up until 1AM. Had to get up at 6AM and start again on my editing, because pulling an all nighter was out of the question after the zoo.
So I made Polenta porridge and Miso soup for breakfast, but again didn't clean up. I had to put my photography first I had a dead line for a client to meet. Lunch time came around and I was grateful for salad we had already left over from the night before. At 3PM I got back into the kitchen for real and made Udon Noodle Cabbage dish. BTW the recipe calls for Olive Oil, but the first time I made it I made it with Safflower Oil. MUCH better with Safflower Oil. Just my opinion.
Being such a late lunch I wasn't hungry for dinner. I did two loads of dishes, but all the hand washing was left sitting for me.
My daughter had company for a sleep over and she was all happy to share with her friend our Vegan meals. So she got into the kitchen and made a Polenta casserole. (not sure of the page number on that one). It was OK, but I wasn't too hungry, and so that is now Monday's left overs. ;-)
So I had whole grain toast with Tahini, and an organic Jam with nothing but fruit lightly spread, for dinner. I was happy enough with that.
This morning, Miranda still was in a cooking mood. THANK goodness because I was still suffering from exhausted cooking burn out. I would have been happy eating raw nuts, and a carrot if it meant no cooking today. ha ha Anyhow, she made fried Mochi and veggie filled  scrambled eggs. (we get eggs from a small local farm and we have been out there, if your going to have eggs these are wonderful). I caved and had some eggs. I think w/o cooking for myself for a day and half I needed the extra protein anyhow. Still they made me feel a little bad for it.
After our bible meeting, we meet several family friends of ours at our favorite affordable Taco place. They do have a Vegetarian burrito. Miranda and I had them leave off the sour cream and cheese we were good to go. It felt really good to be out with friends and not feel deprived in the least! I really thought dairy would be my hardest thing to let go of, but I didn't feel a twinge of desire for their cheesey meals.
On the way home though I realized I should have asked for black beans instead of the beans they put on my burrito. They probably had lard in them, (which I had no idea that might be the case, but a passage in the book came back to me on the drive home about that). So next time I'll remember for sure to ask for a black bean burrito.
Well that was also a very late meal. So I was again off the hook for cooking tonight. ;-) I've had a full two day break. I did 3 loads of dishes, and two sinks of hand washing pots and pans. Now my kitchen is spotless and ready for Monday.
I'm ready for Monday too. I am actually looking forward to cooking, and figuring out what to do with all my left over ingredients from last week. We didn't get to all the recipes I shopped for, but I think I'll be making up my own combination's as well to keep from wasting odd ball items.
So one week down, I consider it highly successful. I've not been hungry, I've not been craving, and I've learned so many things.
Oh and I'm pretty sure I've lost some weight. I don't have a working scale. I get very obsessive with them and they will drive me crazy. Threw mine out years ago. Well hubby bought one and he just needs new batteries. He asked if I was OK with having one in the house. I gave him the go ahead. So maybe I'll start using numbers to keep track? maybe not. For now though my clothing has a bit more room, and I put on a jacket today and I often do not button (because it won't), and I was able to button it up completely and it even stayed buttoned while I was sitting. So I know I've at least lost a few inches. Still the biggest thing is I feel better! In spite of the total burn out, this weekend of a cooking teen, some photography work, along with R&R, and friend time. I've recouped and am ready to face my next week of cooking! lol

More to come

I've been super busy the past 24 hours. I spontaneously took my kids to the zoo. The weather was too perfect to pass it up. So I'm behind on my work, and other to do's I had scheduled for yesterday. We packed left overs for the zoo, then came home after 6 hours of fun, and made pizza's. One recipe from Kind Diet, then just let the boys have the usual. It was hard not eating the pepperoni and cheese, but after filling up on salad and vegan pizza, a side of black beans I was good. So more pic's will come in the next day or two.

Things I've learned so far

I might need more cooking tools than Emeril Lagasse. ha ha I've been using every cooking utensil I have and washing things 3 times a day. This is because the recipes are detailed. I realize though that not every meal need be so complicated. I am having a very good time though, it's like cooking school right now. My daughter and I are working together several times a day and it feels wonderful.
I have found out that the way she says you feel calm from plants as food, is true. It's almost cellular level? My husband said last night after dinner, how he was completely full, satisfied, yet he missed the addictive sedation of the foods that we are use to. He admitted to missing it, but acknowledged he felt better. He hadn't read the book, so this is just him listening to his body. I feel it too! I'm going to bed at night with this odd calm. It's so different than the sedated drugged feeling when you've had heavy toxic foods that numb you out. It's more peaceful. I'm sleeping all night, partly due to the good calm and partly due to my being exhausted from all this cooking! ha ha Still I'm amazed four days in how much different I can feel, and that he felt it too eating only a few things.
This morning my middle child, he was standing in the pantry reading his cereal box label! I was so excited. He informed me that one of his cereals was sweetened with corn syrup. He says I know it's not high fructose, but still not good enough stop buying me this one. :-) He's 12. How great is that!?
For me I've also learned how to tell a Parsnip from a Daikon. I've learned I can do this, and it makes me happy on several levels. I've learned cooking with my daughter is one of the most wonderful parts of my day. I've learned I can lead my family down a path gently yet firmly and they will follow. I have for years given up control over our family meals due to pressures of picky eaters, whining, and begging for what they wanted. I didn't realize I was giving up something a mother should never let go of, and that is what comes out of her kitchen to feed her family.
I'm amazed at the empowerment I've gained from a simple book by a sweet actress, filled with real food recipes can make such an impact on an average American family.

Day 4 dinner al la tuna? Kind-a

Tonight's feast was so good, that all my family ate it exclusively! That was exciting, my husband at first ate, then thought he might follow up with a TV dinner (he bought them just in case). Until we popped out the surprise dessert my lovely Daughter so sweetly made in the later afternoon so the kitchen would be free for the dinner prep. I feel especially proud they all ate only Vegan tonight what a HUGE accomplishment (even if it's one meal), for being only 4 days in. ;-) OK to the photos!.......
Miranda helping me out towards the end of getting the dishes finished up.

This dish recipe is found on page 272.

Tasty Pressed Salad page 256. I used the Vinegar version, also though mixed up the veggies from the two options as well. This is also used on the Clean, Mean Burritos from yesterday. Although this is fresh as we ran out. 

This is our main course found on page 246. Tuna Salad (Kinda). It was really a bit like Tuna in the familiar flavors you use to create the dish. On the large slices of whole grain bread it was amazing. I just used one thin slice, but Hubby and older son made a big sandwich with it.

Our meal before it's been devoured. ha ha

Last but certainly not least are the Crispy Peanut Butter Treats found on page 184. Believe it or not this is even a Super Hero approved food. Now sweetening dessert with healthy natural sweeteners certainly hits the budget harder than a box of Little Debbies. Yet, think about it whether you want to spend that on healthful food, or doctor bills later? Oh and the recipe makes about 2/3rds more than you see here. This is after everyone had one, yet it made an entire second pan as well.

Onions having fewer tears.

How to cut an onion with fewer tears. 
Click the link above for some wonderful factual info. 

Dinner and lunch, Delicious!

This is left overs for lunch, but  was last nights dinner as well. Clean, Mean Burrito recipe on page 216. I tell you amazing! I feel like I could eat this most every day. That's a Spelt tortilla.

Left overs day, whew!

Here was lunch on day two. It was left overs from dinner. Even more delicious the 2nd go around.

Meals from our first day

OK, here I am making my first Vegan breakfast, recipe found on page 288. I never thought I'd eat squash, seaweed, millet, porridge with a side of steamed kale. But it was actually very good! P.S. lets just dub this my before picture. ;-)

This is a shot of the porridge before cooking.

Here is Miranda working on our Udon noodle Cabbage lunch, recipe on page 229

Last but not least our dinner. We missed out on the Plum dessert soup. Honestly I didn't have room for it anyhow. I've got the ingredients and will make some soon though. Recipes found on pages: 224, 244, & 267

The shopping Day

The New Foods! Took me 5 hours to shop for all these new taste adventures. I had no idea what most of it was. By the time I left Whole foods I had become a celeb among the employees,... "Have you meet her? She's doing the Kind Diet, jumping right in!" They cheered me on and helped me search for items towards the end of my five hour hunt that I just could not locate on my own. BTW I have TWO refrigerators and both of them were required to hold all my new fresh veggie wonders.

Day 4 an introduction

On a recent visit my Mom brought me a present. Alicia Silverstones book "The Kind Diet". So the adventure begins.

A little back story:

I've made changes over the years gradually educating myself about food, where it comes from, how to eat right. You would think at 42, being a mother of 3 I would have a good grasp on nutrition by now. I've tried allot of 'diets', and got excited about lots of changes. Some of them have afforded me a few nice changes to my health. None of them though has helped me achieve my weight loss goals. I have a health condition that greatly limits my ability to work out in a vigorous way, the way you need to work out to loose weight, if your interested in the details click here IC. I have had it for 16 years, recently diagnosed in July 2009. It helps to understand why things are going wrong. No excuses though, I know the gaining has been my life choices. Now it's time to take my life back!

So back to today:

After reading her book, and then viewing the movie  Food Inc. I've found my path, and my motivation. Having my family watch the movie I found my support group! Alicia has great names for everyone making changes: Flirt, Vegan, Super Hero, and my family of five each have chosen their level of food changes. Me I dove right in! I'm full on Super Hero.

From pizza, burgers, and doughnuts, straight into whole grains, seaweed, beets, grains and beans! Not really I did make some changes several days before my big grocery shopping event. Miso Soup! I can not say enough good things about how adding these helpful enzymes to my plan before I jumped in must have helped. I started eating Miso about 5 days prior, and trying to drop anything I had in the house with processed sugar. I think it's helped so far to have at least made those two changes.

Monday was my adventures at the Whole foods market, I've not heard of 1/2 the things I was buying at least, and most everything I'd never eaten before. I didn't even know how to prepare these foods! I had made a shopping list for two weeks of meals. It was 3 pages long. I started in the store at 10AM. I left at 3PM. ha ha

I have to give the employees there huge commendation. They were amazing. By the time I left several knew my name and were cheering me on. I was the woman becoming a Super Hero via the Kind Diet! I was exhausted, inspired and terrified! lol Not to mention I had a MUSE concert to attend that same evening.

At any rate, Tuesday I began. I am following Alicia's layout first week as a Superhero sample menu. I am going by the book. OK how many of you can say you've eaten: kombu, onion, celery, butternut squash, millet, miso, scallons, kale, sesame seeds, cabbage, garlic, parsley, quinoa, basil, pine nuts, hijiki, tofu, carrots, burdock root, beets, shallots, parsnips, fennel bulb, winter squash, pecans, dried apricots, udon noodles... all in ONE day. (oh and didn't even have the energy and skills to make the plum soup so I missed out). I can say that! I did it! I got through my first day.

Yes, guess what when you eat all those things, you have to prep all those veggies! akkk I spent a mear 6 1/2 hours in my kitchen that day and still went to bed with a messy one. lol I was a little daunted, overwhelmed, and emotional at bed time. I recommend reading the recipes ahead of time and doing as much as you can in food prep before you step into the actually making the meal. ;-) Just a little tip from someone who's learned the hard way.

Good thing, was Day 2's meal plans were LOTS of left overs! WHEW! ha ha Good thing, I learned allot about myself, and foods I passed in the grocery store and thought WHY? do they even have that near the ice burg lettuce I mean WHO? knows how to cook that stuff? LOL I think I conquered my fear of strange things I've never eaten or cooked in just two days flat. ;-)

I feel as though I've been feasting. I kid you not. Everything has been so delicious. Yes, it seems pricey, but still has yet to be determined fully. As there are aspects that need to be considered and measured first. I'll let you know how it affects our food budget for real in a few months. Yes, it seems like a lot of time in the kitchen, but then I don't know what the heck I'm doing! I'm sure that will get better with time. Too how many times have we sat around till 6 PM then just give up and do a drive thru for dinner? How much time and money has that wasted?

At any rate, today's been great. Day 3 of eating Super Hero meals. I've not been craving so far,... pms around the corner? That should be the real test. ha ha I feel inspired, committed, and sure "I can do this!". Even though I know that nothing I'm doing is going to 'save the planet' and that is not my motivation for the most part. I think 'saving myself' is my goal. I love the quotes in the book, I'll share just one: "Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food."  -Hippocrates

Follow my blog adventure, now and then my teen aged daughter says she'll be making some of her own comments and posts as she is the most eager participant in my house for these changes. She's my friend, inspiration, and Vegan buddy. :-)

I'll be posting some photo's of meals we've already prepared. I hope we inspire you to get a copy of this book, and find your fit, are you a flirt, a vegan or a Super hero?