Health Goal Of the Week

I decided I am going to aim for adding a new positive health habit per week. I have to admit I am completely influenced by the book "Small Changes, Big Results." For the most part I feel like I know what I need to do to be healthier, but struggle to make a habit of it. 

Week 1:

Eat 2 Fruits every Day!

 It's already Wednesday, so I guess this week will be easier. ;-)

PS. This is the season to buy pomegranates. You can freeze the seeds for easy on the go snacks. They are tough to open, but worth it to eat.

Pointless or not, I'm bloggin away!

Blogless

I'm currently feeling like having a blog is kind of pointless. I don't really have a clear purpose, my posts are more random tidbits from my daily life and frustrations. 

Is it worth writing? How do I benefit besides having some time for forced self-reflection. 

Better yet is it worth reading? Is it entertaining, educational, or inspiring in any way?

Let me know. I could use the encouragement today.. or if you have some advice I'd love to hear it too. Or maybe just an anonymous comment of  "Hey I read your blog sometimes, don't stop" or if you feel inspired leave an anonymous comment saying "Hey these posts are boring, you should write more about.. X" 

Product Recommendation

IKEA Food Storage Set  $4.99

aka. tupperware

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60149673

It's not everyday that you hear someone raving about food storage. I bought this little set the other day on a whim and I am so IMPRESSED!

At first I thought man these guys are small, but now I fully realize the genius of it. Let the raves begin..

#1 Portion control! These are perfectly sized for single-servings and really help with controlling how much you eat in one sitting. There also some larger ones for keeping huge quantities in. (a 1/2 pot of stew)

#2 Less air-less spoilage-  You really want to aim for filling your containers as full as possible to minimize the amount of air in the container. With the smaller sizes even my guacamole is staying fresh!

#3 Stackable- The sizes also stack really well and fit into the bigger containers so you don't have a tupperware panic attack.

#4 Clean & Fresh-  For some reason the green lid makes me feel like I am eating healthy. I know its just trick psychology but I think it motivates me and keeps me focused on my health goals. The plastic has also remained incredibly clear even with the Spaghetti sauce test. Cloudy, stained plastic just isn't appetizing. 

#5 * Safe- According to the icons on the back of the containers; they are dish washer-safe, microwave-safe, and (SNOWFLAKE) safe.. which I assume means freezer-safe. ;-)

#6 Profitable- I bet I could have an old-school tupperware party and sell the set for $9.99!

I currently have 6 containers in use. • 1 of the horizontal large ones is holding stew leftovers • the other large one is holding pasta • 2 horizontal small ones are holding single guacamole servings • the smallest one is holding 1 serving of baked beans • the medium container is holding some mixed nuts for on-the-go. These sizes are brilliant!

Email Meltdown!

One word-- HACKED :-(

I am so upset right now. Literally tears flowing and on the night Matt and I are supposed to be celebrating our 2 yr wedding anniversary. And I know this is a silly reaction, but what happened today has unleashed a dam of emotion from many, many, many burned bridges. 

Most people know that Gmail saves EVERY contact you have ever emailed. Think about that for a moment, every job you apply for, every bad date you may have gone on, every stranger you had to email for some reason or another.. and all the ex-bosses, ex-boyfriends, ex-friends even. On top of that I had imported my contacts from every previous email account I had used. I thought no problem, I don't need to delete people I won't email.. that would take WAY to much time to go through all the hundreds of emails to sort it out.

Well today that laziness bit me in the @ss. My older gmail account was hacked into and sent spam out to EVERY ONE of my contacts. At first I thought oh well, but then it started to sink in. I just spammed all of those people that I never wanted any contact with again as well as all my friends and family that I love. I'm so embarassed, I'm mortified. On top of that, my old email account is set to send out as if it is my new email account. I consider my new email address kind of private and didn't really want people from the past knowing it. It's not like its a difficult email to figure out, but now those people know exactly what it is.

So taking a proactive approach, I decided to finally clean out my contacts and it only took 4 min. Seriously, so mad at myself! And as I went down the list I just kept thinking NO, not that person too! 

I know I'm overreacting, but just having to think about some of these people and the bad times associated with them is upsetting enough. I'm a forward focuser and always have been. I tend to be a burn the bridges type of girl. And today I had to look back and I saw the mess I left.

Enchilada Madness

I absolutely LOVE enchiladas. That and lasagna have always been my 2 favorite foods. 

So tonight I made guacamole & black bean enchiladas with green chili sauce. Yummy, yummy!

Step 1 - Make guacamole (see previous blog entry)

Step 2 - Saute white & red onion in pan with garlic (set aside)

Step 3 - Gather everything you need (Black Beans, sauteed onions, guacamole, spatula, etc..)

Step 4 - Fry corn tortilla in oil in a frying pan on the stove, flip when it starts to bubble up

Step 5 - Here is where the Madness comes in- Take out / Start another tortilla

Step 6 - While other tortilla is cooking, QUICKLY place enchilada ingredients on the cooked one and Roll without burning your fingers

Step 7 - Place all rolled enchiladas into pan as they are ready.

Step 8 - Smother with Sauce (I used green chili sauce in a can + the rest of the Black bean juice  in the can)

Step 9 - Garnish with fresh Cilantro, chives, onions whatever you got that looks pretty & is fragrant.

Step 10 - Bake at 350F for like 20-30min

As you can see my cooking is very flowy, no measuring, just a pinch of that and watch it while it does this, and smother it with some of that and that. No wonder its always hit or miss.

An out to eat weekend

4 out of the 5 Meals I ate this weekend were out of my house, and I barely survived. What's funny is that each meal got progressively more difficult to choose vegan options.

Friday was pure heAven. We went to Kalajandhjis in Dallas. It was amazing! I never knew Indian food could be so good! And the atmosphere alone is worth the trip, it's def like a small Indian palace. Our table was in the courtyard part and it was very peaceful.
http://www.kalachandjis.com/

Saturday- for lunch we met my family at Abuelos. You would think Mexican would be easy, but a quick google search warned me about all the bacon and dairy. So I chose AVacado enchiladas with steamed veggies. I asked if the enchiladas had cheese in them and the server said no. However, when I got my plate there was cheese all over the top. Matt scooped it off and on to his plate and gave me his share of guacamole. Sweet! I would recommend going with veggie Fajitas next time.

Saturday dinner was my 10yr reunion. There was absolutely nothing vegan there. Alot of meats, mashed potatoes, 2 salads w cheese and a roll. So I took my chances with the roll and picked the cheese out of the little salad I ate. No wonder that 1 drink gave me such a headache. I didn't eat much that day at all.

Side note: I have noticed I am super sensitive to alcohol, caffeine, pain medicine, and antibiotics. I can literally feel the medicines as they kick into my bloodstream. Shouldn't i be given a smaller dose if i'm smaller now?

Sunday was the ultimate vegan challenge. Texas Roadhouse! I mean they actually have a meal called Roadkill. I knew it would be hardso I googled it and decided on a side salad and sweet potato. I packed my own tub of Earth Balance butter and some salad dressing. I made sure the waitress understood that there should be no cheese in it. This time the salad came with egg all in it. So I bravely asked for another salad without. So my salad consisted of iceburg lettuce and tomatoes, good thing I had brought some onions. And good thing for the butter container too. My uncle caught a cricket on our table and placed him in the butter tub. He threw the tub in the trash on the way out. I know that's not very vegan, but I'm too scared of jumpy bugs to try to save him. I hope thecricket dies happily from eating too much vegan butter.

-- Post From My iPhone

What works. Water works.

Here is an eating strategy that I've noticed helps me to maintain my weight and avoid cravings.

Inspired by the Skinny Bitch book, vegan food pyramid & my memaw's advice awhile back. 

Whenever I stick to this order of eating I tend to lose weight and have more energy.. When I skip breakfast or go straight for a bagel then I feel more sluggish and tend to eat more that day. I really need to focus on not over-relying on the carbs.

Breakfast-- eat Fruit & Drink water (Goes through your body quick & flushes everything out ;-)

Snack-- Nuts or 2nd Breakfast (oatmeal, whole grain cereal) Water

Lunch-- Soup, Salad, and/or Veggie Sandwich  + Water

Snack-- Carrots or some other veggie snack could have more nuts if needed.. Or Multi-grain crackers with hummus/avocado + Water, Water

Dinner-- Throw in the Veggies! Need at least 2 veggies + Protein and 1 whatevah (this inevitably will end up being a carb -- crescent rolls ;-) I'm pretty sure the Great Value Walmart crescent rolls are vegan. Someone please let me know if I am wrong.

After dinner-- Water, Water, Water No late night snackies.

Ya so looking at this I think breakfast fruit and water are the key!

A list of nose

No I do not want a drink with that.

No I haven't seen Lost.

No I would not like for you to box my food for me.

No I would not like a lemon in my water.

No I did not see the game last night.

No you cannot have my number

No I seriously do not want a piece of cake

No I'm not worried about my protein intake

No I cannot have that to you by the end of the day

No you can not keep chewing on toilet paper







-- Post From My iPhone

3 months in & Goals Achieved

It's been a little over 3 months since I made the vegan switch! Here are the results so far;

Dropped 10lbs the first 6 weeks and have stayed at that same weight since despite barely exercising this last month. Overall I have noticed feeling more energized, awake, less mood swings, more "regular" & less allergies. I am still trying new foods and loving things I never would have expected loving. 

I just found a note that I wrote a year ago that says "Foods to learn to like".. I had always struggled with learning to like vegetables and becoming a vegan has forced me to try things and be totally surprised by the taste. I am so excited now looking at this list because I can check off 1/2 of them!!

Foods to Learn to Like: 

Cucumbers  √

Celery √

Radishes √

Bell Peppers √

Spinach √

Cabbage √

Eggplant √

Zucchini √

Sweet Potatoes √

Tofu √

Cauliflower √

I can't believe Onions weren't on the list! I hated them a year ago and now I add them to everything!! 

What I need to try still:

Kale

Collard Greens

Chard

Cauliflower

leeks

edamame

Honey Dew

couscous

Bulgur Wheat

Quinoa

Ostrich - X Seriously! I had that on my list a year ago ?

Why my husband is awesome

1) He acknowledges fashion genius by referring to my favorite accessory as "your Vera Wang belt" 

2) He doesn't watch sports!

3) He tells me maybe I should go shopping if I'm in a bad mood.

4) He handles the mean phone calls to the Utility companies

5) He works full-time, goes to school full-time AND takes on side jobs so we can get ahead.

6) He doesn't get angry.

7) He orders extra for me just in case I under ordered and am still hungry.

8) He is supportive of my vegan diet, and cooks his own meat to add to my dishes

9) He gets me.

10) He doesn't watch sports! (Totally worth repeating)

LOVE!

Diaper cake all-nighter

bc I thought they would be fun to make



-- Post From My iPhone

Lion hat shame

I'm only showing this knitting project bc I prepromised I would. Consider yourselves lucky.

It didn't really turn out little kid cute like I had planned. In fact, it seems more nightmare scare crowish. Do I go ahead and give this to my friend at her baby shower? Or do I save myself the embarassment of all the faked coos, "oh that's so, um, unique" or "aren't you crafty?" I just don't know if I can live with contributing to the future nightmares of my friend's unborn child.

Here it is-




U think moving the eyes and nose down will help?

Off to try to fix the 3 diaper cakes I signed up for.


-- Post From My iPhone

Vegan Egg Fail

These eggs are pissing me off--Slipping into all my food. This morning I learned that MorningStarFarms corn dogs are NOT vegan.. They have egg whites! As well as several other veggie meat products I have used of theirs. 

And then today I noticed that my Pei Wei Pad Thai leftovers have a fried egg at the bottom. UGH! So I tried eating around it some, but ended up just making myself feel sick. If you have ever had a taste aversion this is what it is like. I am no longer desensitized and now have this overwhelming feeling that I know What it is, Where it came from, and What suffering was involved to get that egg to me. I feel horrible that this baby chick did not have a life and that he is now sitting in my trash can.  

FAIL!

Kudos to Matt for not buying eggs in the past 3 months, even though that was his staple breakfast for years. 

My new goal is to cook up an emulated Vegan Breakfast- Scrambled Tofu, vegan Sausage, soy cheese, biscuits, vegan gravy, some fruit and maybe a Blueberry muffin or Banana Bread to finish the feast.