I'm BAAAAACK!

Well I am back after a looooong hiatus. Kinda just happened after a trip out of town then got sick when I got back then daughter brought home not one but two viruses in a week and took a little while to get over that and well, just pure plain laziness. Gotta call it what it is. I am turning over a new leaf, one of the many leaves on my tree of good intentions.

 So what's happened in the weeks I have been gone. Lost 14 lbs altogether(since I started in July, not since Oct when I blogged last). Still not eating meat even though we did try putting fish back in but after not eating meat the texture just didn't thrill us so we took it back out. Just had a whole week of being just vegetarian and at the end of the week figured out that I have no control unless I stick to my mainly vegan diet, go overboard too much and it just snowballs downhill. The candy at the checkout at stores became a battlefield and I lost a lot last week. But am now able to win the battle, there is a miniature Reese's cup sitting on my desk and has been taunting me for 3 days now and I have resisted it. But I do wish someone else would see it and capture it....I'll have to give away it's location to one of the girls. Figured out if nothing else then I am a vegetarian, no going back from that now. Won't say I will never eat meat again because 'never say never" but it would have to be a pretty special occasion, say my birthday next year at Bubba Gumps and then it would be just shrimp and lots and lots of it. I AM planning that already, hehe. If I had an awesome memory I would remember other stuff these last weeks but I don't so I'll just start fresh now because I have taken everything out of my memory that is there.

This week I have started something new. Hubby comes home from work starving especially if he's eating straight vegan. You get hungry more often when eating a good vegan diet, at least that is what we found. So I started making a pot of soup or a salad so when he walked in the door he had something good for you to eat and then we had a later dinner that was more on the light side. He is such a happy camper. Doesn't even notice I haven't cleaned too much house this week, the key is the tummy, keep it happy, lol. Only problem is that the recipes are made for a family of six, not a typical P. family. So I was thinking I would have leftovers for lunch and quickly figured out that I need to double soup recipes because by the time we have ate and put away for Harry's lunch, nothing left very often. Good things I have cooked this week: Homemade minestrone, butternut squash soup(oh so yum), pasta and veggie salad, and MACARONI salad(vegan)---there is a choir of angels singing that in my head. I love, love, love macaroni salad and it tasted like macaroni salad. Happy taste buds! Last night's dinner was a huge hit. I'll post the recipe below. Black eye pea stew, so simple, clean and yummy. Whew I am typed out so I will thrill you with more another day. It's good to be back. Feeling more centered already.

Black Eye Pea Stew

8 cups of collard greens cut up

2 cups veggie broth plus 2 cups water(may not seem like enough but greens wilt)

1 can petite diced tomatoes

12 ounce small red potatoes cut in 1/2in dice

1 can black eye peas, rinsed and drained

Salt and Pep to taste

Place veggie broth, water and collard greens in dutch oven and bring to boil and cover then cook for about 15 min. Then add tomatoes and potatoes and cover and cook til potatoes are done, around 20 min. Then add black eye peas and cook til they are heated in stew. That is it. Just so light and clean. Only 180 cal. 1 fat. and 8 fiber for those of you  who count.

Dog Days

I really do feel like I am one of those dogs that no matter how hard you try they just don't get it!! I mean they do the the same thing over and over again and you think, "really, you don't have a brain in your little head." Well me and my diet are the same. I see the benefits, I feel the benefits, and I love the benefits but seem to slip back into the cheese and dairy again and again. I have lost 12.8 lbs and 4 inches from the waist but it could be so much better. We are now playing with the idea of adding fish in and hoping that would take away the cheese and dairy problem, well actually Harry already added fish back in. The Dr who recommended this diet does eat the fish. The health benefits from fish are good as long as you check out how much of what fish to eat so not to add too much mercury to you diet. In the beginning we actually wanted to add fish but decided not to so maybe we'll give it a try. Not really craving it but a good tuna sandwich does sound heavenly. I do think fish is much better than cheese and dairy. My face will probably think so too. I need my good complexion back. I don't know, just rolling things around in my head. I just want to do what is healthy for me and all meat but fish is not. What do I call myself now? Not a vegan, not a vegetarian, I think it's a, crap, don't remember, had it but it went out of my head. Maybe the moral of the story is I shouldn't label myself and just eat what is right for me. I am tamatarian!! Any thoughts? Anyone?

It's Been How Long?

Gracious I didn't realize til this morning that I had not blogged in forever. I think that this is just because I am so used to this no meat world now that it's not a big deal anymore. But I find that I am better at a more vegan based diet if I am blogging, it's my police so I have to come out of hiding and blog more so I can feel the guilt if I eat too much dairy and cheese. Tomorrow I will add sugar to this. This has just been such a amazing journey of trying new things and finding I do have weak will power when it comes to cheese. But the truth is that I am not losing weight anymore because I am cheating over and over again so I need to stop and lose some more weight. I want to get rid of my heartburn meds so bad so I need to lose more to stop it. I have tried a few new things lately so I will get back on here tomorrow when I have more time and delight you with my little tidbits.......

But on the bright side......3 MONTHS of NO meat.  Yippee!!!

When Will I Learn?

Yes you should eat breakfast, everyday! I have yet to learn that lesson. I got up and had my coffee and a little diet pepsi and then decided to just get out and get my shopping done, without eating. I just didn't  want to eat. Thank goodness for my can of peanuts. I bought a can of peanuts and keep them in the car and when I get out and get weak from hunger I just buy a diet coke and have coke with peanuts....some of you southerners know what I mean....you actually pour the peanuts in the coke and eat and drink. Hits the spot and gives a protein boost. Now I am just cooking spaghetti for dinner and doing a minimum clean up then wish and hope and pray that the pantry fairy comes and puts away everything I bought today. I am going to count on it.....hope the fairy is reading this.   ;))

French Tofu Toast

French tofu toast may not sound yummy to most but I have to say it was good. I have ate tofu three out of the last 4 days. This is from someone a few months ago did not want to cook it or look at it or eat it and now I'm looking through my cookbooks for more recipes that I want to try. All the changes in my life in the last year are mind boggling to me but it all feels right and good. Back to my tofu breakfast, I took the silken tofu, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla and blended til smooth then dipped the bread in it and fried like reg. french toast. The egg flavor with syrup always got to me a little so this solves that problem and it browns up just like the regular. I added too much oil to the first few pieces and that caused them to be a little soggy so next time I am going to just spray with pam and I think that will work better. Topped with real maple syrup, good start to the day but going to have to have some leftover soup soon to calm down the sugar rush from the toast AND my coffee. I made a big pot of veggie soup last night and it's always better as leftovers the next day.
I am not even gonna talk about Friday night.....all I can say is my love for cheese is a little diminished after those cheese fries. So maybe I can control myself for the next week. I hope so because I feel better when I behave. Well it's time to put on a pot of beans for dinner. That with some potatoes and turnips is going to be a good start for the week.

11 lbs and 3 inches!

Sounds like a short and really fat baby, huh? :) But thinking about the statement, my oldest was 11 lbs and 4 1/2 ounces so when you look at it that way then it's seems a lot better to remember the hunk of fat you lost then just looking at numbers. I've lost the equivalent of a fat baby! This so far is simply without trying at all because I just can't seem to get in the hang of totally healthy eating. But the really, really funny ironic part right now it I have to lose almost the same weight still that my oldest weighs right now. Oh well it will happen eventually, at the rate I am going only another 2 yrs and a few months. Guess I should behave and ramp up the losing......I'll start Monday.
Still no craving for meat. Yes still having cheese some so I should classify myself right now that I eat a vegan type diet with the exception of cheese on more than rare occasions. Oh and those of you who couldn't sleep the other night wondering about if I went to subway or not----yes I did!  But last night I made a phenom dish. Fried tofu like my favorite restaurant makes with stir fried veggies in a homemade Asian veggie broth and fried rice, it was sooo yummy!!! Tonight is gonna be a surprise, hopefully it's good because I ate at taco bell today and now I have a little tummy ache.....it happens almost every time I eat at taco bell so maybe I should avoid it unless I am desperate. I was today. Maybe hubby will take me out to eat, I can probably persuade him. He needs to get out and relax before starting to study anyway, right? Ooooh another mystery, will I persuade him or not?

10.2 lbs

Yes I am celebrating my .2 because now I can say I have lost OVER 10 lbs. Small victories will add up to a big victory. Wish the small victories would come faster but you know that would take will power that isn't present right now, at all. But I did have tacos last night without cheese and am glad for that but by lunch today the cheese called and I resorted to a wee little bit on my Amy's Burrito and the most devastating part is that it was so good it didn't need the cheese so lesson learned, only use cheese as a last resort. It would have been a totally vegan burrito and I goofed it up. Just look for the Amy's burrito that is bean and rice but no dairy. I was totally shocked at how good it was. Tonight is a dilemma, I can't find my tofu. I think it got thrown away after the fridge incident on Sat.( cran-grape juice spilled all over fridge). So it looks like a trip to store or subway........ah don't the mysteries just kill ya?

Twisted Ankle, UTI, and Cheese

The title says it ALL!! Going good last week and then Friday rolled around. I was out weeding the many, many flower beds I have and twisted my ankle, luckily not a bad twist, didn't even swell or turn blue. I immediately hobbled in an put it on ice and it's just sore now when I do something stupid. Well didn't want to hobble and cook so it was pizza because and I needed comfort food and that's my excuse. Then around 9:30 that night uti hit right out of the blue, I mean NO little hints it was coming that I usually get so that I can flush it out fast. Hardly any sleep that night and urgent care doesn't open til 12:00 and I was there at 12:05. Getting that under control now. But in all this process it has made me a cheese fanatic, it's what I want for comfort food. I don't want meat at all still and don't want dairy except for cheese. Even my posts are about cheese. I just love the word, CHEESE! A slab or slice or hunk of.....remember school house rock? Ok enough of me justifying and on to other stuff. Last night we had spaghetti, with a tiny bit of shredded *%$&. Tonight I had a request for lentil tacos, my hubby would turn into a lentil if I cooked them as much as he wanted me to. It usually involves curry too. Lentils and curry. I can handle the lentils but the curry is something I still have to adjust to. Not my favorite spice.

I AM going to have self control today. I AM going to have self control today! But what's a taco without................tune in and find out, does she or doesn't she?

10 LBS.....YIPPEE!!!

Don't have much time now but will get back on here later. But I have lost a total of ten lbs and forgot to put it on here. Eating healthy not too much but still slowly losing. Still striving for eating healthy.....think I will always be striving, lol. Especially if there is cheese in the world ;-)

Full of Beans! Yes I am!!

My tummy is either thanking me or telling me off, not sure which but I am going to go with it being thankful. I really could eat a bowl of pinto beans every day. Cooked with just salt, no oil or ham hock. I am back on the vegan style diet and have forsaken cheese for now. Although it has not been super healthy it is basically back on track to getting it healthier. Monday I was all set to cook creole beans and rice and thought I had the stuff to make it but when I went to cook dinner the ingredients were no where to be found....some pantry pest made off with my beans! Well it was that or I have to admit I just totally forgot that I had made it the week before and used all the ingredients, uh pantry pest took it definitely. So since I hadn't been to store I sent Bethany to taco bell, they made me a crunchy taco, no meat, no cheese, add beans. It wasn't bad. Sunday night I had made veggie soup and have been eating off that for lunch and breakfast, hey, anything goes for breakfast....don't judge. Basically for my soup I just throw cans of whatever veggies I want in it, liquid and all, some spices, and then add v-8 juice til it's covered with enough liquid to simmer. This time I cut up 3 zucchini and cooked with it to give it that thicker texture and when the zucchini is done then basically the soup is. It's quite tasty. Last night it was Thai food, gracious that stuff is good. But eating out is not healthy so I decided to cook the beans tonight with cabbage and mashed potatoes. I put too much butter in potatoes so I am going to have to cut down on that, eventually. Oh and cornbread, the old fashioned way, not too healthy but very yummy. I did accomplish breakfast this morning so I do deserve kudos for that. Bowl of oatmeal with a banana sliced in it and some raw sugar. Filled me up!  Well the problem with cooking is that I have a kitchen to clean, ick ick ick! So off to clean I go, yuck!

Oh and I have lost another .8 lbs which brings the total to 9.8 lbs , almost to 10. Slowly I go ounce by ounce.....

Tomorrow is Another Day

Tomorrow I am getting back on track....I have started to feel bad like I felt before I started this diet change. My bursitis is getting worse, it hadn't bothered me in weeks. My hair is getting oilier and face is starting to break out so I think that is a sign that I was doing something good for my body. Going back to a vegan diet and continuing to cut down on sugar, oil, and processed foods. Still having a hankering for a hunk of cheese so I am going to try a few things to deal with it, I'll let you know how it works. Any ideas are appreciated.....greatly!!

Very Bad Days

Ok, true confessions time. I have had a rough time this week in that I can call myself a vegetarian this week because I have fallen off the vegan wagon bad. I got so obsessed with cheese it was totally affecting every part of my life. I didn't want to cook because I didn't want to eat. If it wasn't cheese then I really didn't care what I ate because it was just for the sake of eating. It really was the worst craving I have ever had and I resisted for a few days then decided that if my body wanted something that much then maybe I should just have some. Maybe it needed it. We went out to eat and I had REAL cheese and it was good and it didn't satisfy me like last time. I still had cravings and still obsessed. I decided a little break was in order and have been having dairy and eggs this weekend. Have NOT had any cravings for meat at all, have no desire to have any and for that I am thankful. Monday will start afresh and try to have better coping skills. Not sure what to do when those cravings start because nothing I tried to substitute would take the cravings away. Maybe I need the dairy, only time will tell. I'm gonna do some research. I don't want to stop all the benefits I have seen so taking it a day at a time.

I am a Bad Blogger!

Ok I am pms-ing bad so I find I don't want to cook or eat. I am bloated so the scales need to taken out and shot. I know in one part of my mind that I shouldn't pay attention to the number til the bloating stops but the pms totally beats down that part. I am starting to have cravings so tonight's dinner will be an unusual fare. Don't think we have had anything new in the last few days, just the basic stuff. But tonight I want those whole potatoes in the cans with a cheesy sauce, new fake recipe. I want also this recipe that calls for vegetarian baked beans, macaroni, and french fried onions(the ones in the can). It sounds like a casserole from hell but on the other hand today sounds absolutely heavenly, I am obsessed with it today, I think I can save it's soul with a little onion, ketchup and tiny bit of brown sugar. To keep the hubby appeased it will be a quinoa and red lentil type stew for him. Oh and rolls, yummy rolls. No I do not want to cook but these things are a must so I guess when I end this I will start cooking. Hopefully this means I am near the end of this hated woman thing since I want to eat tonight. You know the actual concept of me not wanting to eat is still SO foreign to me. I kind of like it in some ways, it means I am changing my body and not letting the food control my day. On the other hand when you have to cook and can't rely on eating out it helps to actually want to eat. I should just listen to my body it won't let me starve to death, it'll tell me when I need to eat.

Sept 9, 2010

Today I stepped on the scales and had lost a little more weight, so now I am up to 9 lbs. We've been going almost 8 weeks so that would be a little over a lb a week average weight loss. Not bad at all! Must be all the beans from the chili and last night was pinto bean night with turnips and fried potatoes. In the spirit of eating healthier I only put about 2 tbsp oil in a big skillet and put the potatoes in and cooked with the lid on so it would help steam the potatoes. Then when they were cooked through I took off the lid and turned up the heat and browned them. That oil was the only fat in the whole dinner.

This morning I decided to cook oatmeal in the microwave. I put it in a big enough bowl that it would not spill over and then cut up a fresh peach and put in and sprinkled a little raw sugar in it. Nuked it for about 2 1/2 min. Then added about another tbsp of raw sugar, which is a LOT less then I normally use for oatmeal. It was pretty good but may add a little vanilla or almond extract tomorrow morning. I think that will give it the umph it needs. Guess what I had for lunch, you got it---beans! But for dinner it was Baked Ziti! Instead of ricotta the recipe called for tofu seasoned up. It was good. I had a side salad with it. That was the first salad I have had in a long time. I thought I would be more dependent on salad but hardly ever have one. Today was a totally unmotivated day so I am thankful I got dinner done. Not tired or sick just unmotivated. Tomorrow I have to find motivation, I think it may take the form of coffee!! Early and lots of it!

Fantastic Weekend

I haven't blogged since Friday but that was the start of our Labor Day weekend and it was a good one. We went to a Trader Joe's up near Cleveland in search of red lentils. Love TJ but this one was the size of a good sized convenience store, they were doing construction so hoping they are expanding(fingers crossed). Went to a Books A Million and found a good cookbook and and a book called Eating Animals that I am in the process of reading, I will let you know how that one is. Since we didn't find the red lentils at TJ's then it was off to whole foods which was just right across town. I found my red lentils, they were in the bins and I pulled it too long so I have enough red lentils for the the next year.....or two. Saturday I made Harry a dahl, basically a red lentil curry type stew. I am not a big fan of curry but he LOVES it so I guess some nights I'll be making two dinners. Had to buy a spice called Cardamon for the dahl, which now I will take an insurance policy out on. It was almost 12 bucks a bottle but have since learned I could have bought it cheaper at Whole Foods, go figure. Got our computer desk and home office started on Sat and a little shopping at Sam's club. On Sunday we went to the Toledo Zoo. I spent 3 hrs walking around and Harry commented toward the end that he was impressed at how much energy I still had. He said a few months ago you couldn't even walk through Walmart without slowing down. So I feel like I am starting to get my life back. In two months with no exercise my energy level and endurance has shot through the roof. I am very very pleased!! On Monday I did have to take it easy because my legs and ankles were yelling at me but overall I spent 3 days going, going, and going and I recovered quickly because by yesterday I was ready to go again. Did I say I feel great?!?!? My knee is complaining a little but I just tell it to be quiet!

Ok so what else new have I cooked lately. Gracious I really need to blog more often because I have no memory. Oh I made an Invisible Roast. I put onions, potatoes, and carrots in the crock pot in big chunks and then took a vegan dark broth(g washington was the brand) and poured over it and salt was the only seasoning( I need to figure out a good spice for a beef flavored dish) then cooked til potatoes done. Had some green beans and rolls and it was good. Actually had it twice in the last week. I cheated on Jo Wok and ate at Bangkok Kitchen in Toledo on Sunday. I don't feel guilty I will just have a polygamist relationship with both. They each have their own unique yumminess. One husband but two Thai restaurants, it's a happy life! Oh I almost forgot I made chili last night. It was good. I used Seitan, a meat substitute but really will just add an extra can of beans next time because I couldn't really taste any flavor it gave so why not just put in extra fiber. Need to figure out how to get it thicker. I think I know so when I get it perfected I will add it to here. Well enough for one morning, I will be back later and hopefully that means tonight or tomorrow morning.

I Had CHEESE!

We had decided last week(before my blood work) that we would take birthdays and have a little of the stuff we have been really missing. Surprisingly it is not meat we really want, it is cheese!!! So last Tue. was Harry's birthday but he had two really big days at work coming up so we decided it wouldn't be best to take a chance on upsetting the tummy before this. So last night we ordered pizza with REAL cheese. OH my it was like eating a little piece of heaven. Harry just wanted plain cheese but not me I had to have Marco's White Cheezy....tomatoes, onion, no bacon, different cheeses including feta. I have to say it was so so so good. I am gonna be honest here and say I was scared to death that once I took that first bite of cheese that from now on I couldn't not resist it. So it was kind of a test for me to see if I could eat something and go right back to eating vegan again. After eating 3 slices my tummy was quite insistent it was time to stop. Then my tummy preceded to grumble and growl for....well it's still going this morning. Harry and Jo were sitting beside me and heard it clearly. And I hit the bed early because then my tummy started to hurt and felt this bad fullness that I haven't felt in a long time. This morning I really have no desire to go our and eat something off the plan so it was a success I guess. Feeling more relaxed now that I know I didn't go off the deep end of a pool of cheese! And looking forward to next birthday, crap it's not til April......hmmmm pizza for Thanksgiving!! Unless someone wants to come celebrate their bday with me, any takers?

You CAN'T be a BAD Vegan and Get Results!

Well now I know that you can't just eat anything that is vegan and get the blood work you want. I got my results back and not a big improvement and in fact doubled one part. Over all cholesterol dropped from 180 to 170, LDL dropped from 125 to 103(good drop), HDL hovered around 35 each time, my triglycerides almost doubled from 98 to 164. Eeeek that last one threw me til I realized what I have been eating the last few months and realized that I have not in the least been watching my sugar intake or processed food intake and "white" carb intake so I shouldn't be surprised at that one. Now comes getting rid of all that other stuff at least a majority of the time and see what the next results in 3 months are. The doc took me off half of my zocor so I really have to watch what I eat now or my numbers will shoot through the roof. So Tuesday I am mostly cutting out the other stuff that is bad. The people who got the good numbers did not eat what I have been eating so I guess I can't have my cupcake and eat it too. So phase two begins in a few days....the hard hard part. The great part is the blood results did not make me want to go out and just eat meat. Even if this doesn't work eventually I may never eat meat again anyway. Because in the end I have lost 8.6 lbs and 2 1/2 inches from my waist and feel waaaaay better than I did before so it is working just not in the big way I want it to yet!

Catching Up!

Hubby asked last night if I had blogged and I said a few times but not much which got me to thinking that I should. I just do better if I sit and write down thoughts and other such stuff. Haven't heard back from Dr. yet, hope to today. But he doesn't work on Wed so maybe not. Just feel blessed to have a Dr who is not afraid to do things different. Haven't been eating well lately. The one thing this life change did is cure my addiction to eating all the time. I tend to just not eat or forget. This is so abnormal for me. That's all my mind would think about some days so I am trying to make a concerted effort to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I find myself not feeling good and realize that I haven't eaten. So my feeling bad is my own darn fault! I actually had a slice of whole grain bread with peanut butter this morning so I am off to a good start. Gonna munch on some fruit in a little. Not really been trying new recipes and except for cupcakes for hubby's birthday yesterday. We've been having a lot of rice and stir fried veggies lately but today I am going to change that. It's roast night.....without the roast! lol I found some seasoning packets that seem like they would mimic beef broth so I am putting potatoes, carrots, and onions in a crock pot and cooking them like there is a roast there. Jo's been asking for green beans so there is also a packet that looks like it mimics chicken broth so I will cook the green beans with those. A little corn and tomatoes and I can't wait for dinner. Gotta fix beans sometime this week too, been to long without them. Oh yes the cupcakes, the margarita ones turned out pretty good and pretty. I had one even though the tequila was not cooked out in the icing. Probably shouldn't have. There was not that much in it but I did have a little reaction to the alcohol. Oh well guess this diet didn't help that little problem with alcohol sensitivity. The gluten free vegan not quite my cup of tea, might be if I left the flax seed out. Whew those little things leave a strong taste in food, good for you but not good for the taste buds in the amt in recipe. Might leave out next time. My next cupcake next week is red velvet. I hope it's good.

Nervous!

Tomorrow I do my first blood work since starting this diet. I am nervous that there will be no change but know that if not a tweaking may be needed. Can't see myself stopping this diet anyway. I feel too good to stop it. So I will check back in tomorrow and let you know if I get results back and how Harry's Margarita cupcakes turn out for his birthday.

Movies that make you think!

Well I have been complacent in my diet lately and not making the changes that I need to make and I think that God smacked me on the head tonight. Last week in the paper I noticed that there was an interesting article on a movie premiere in the area at one of the local high schools. The movie was called Forks over Knives  and is a movie based on the whole foods plant based diets and two of the leading Dr's who have researched the good effects of this diet. We happen to have both books these Dr.'s wrote. The movie will be released in theaters on March 11, 2011. The screenwriter lives here in this area in the summer so a local deli/store sponsored the movie to be shown here first. It really drives home what this diet can and does do. So I am going to make a more concerted effort drop the things in my diet that I still need to get rid of. The personal stories through out this movie really drives home the fact it does work. But saying goodbye to oil, processed sugar, processed foods will be a chore and may take a little longer than it took to do the animal, dairy, and eggs. But this IS what I need to do. I am more convinced than ever. I see the Dr. Monday and get blood work done next week to see if just cutting out what I have will have made a change. I am sure it is not as big of a change that I will see once I have cut the other stuff out. So here I go to phase two, expect plenty of failures but in the end hopefully great success!!