Recent Discoveries and Strategies

Finally, a really free Saturday. It’s early afternoon and I’m still in pajama pants. I even threw caution to the wind and paid the paper girl in wild hair and full pajamas!  I just wanted to say hi, hope you are having a good weekend, and spread some veggie cheer and ideas.

1. Today I cooked the basic tofu scramble from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She has it on her blog here. Wow, I found this recipe was way better than I expected. Tofu and I have a contentious relationship, to say the least. The only change I made was to reduce the cumin-I used 1 and 1/2 tsp instead of the 2 teaspoons. I’ve just learned that sometimes her recipes overwhelm me with too much cumin. Seriously, if you have been afraid to try a tofu scramble, this is delicious. Sorry, forgot to take a picture. Here’s a picture of the book I seem to be obsessed with.

2. A friend who is a vegetarian and works full-time gave me this suggestion: She buys a case of black beans and a case of canned corn at Costco. She mixes a can of corn and a can of black beans in a storage container and then makes things from it all week. I tried this (I bought the beans but used my frozen corn instead-I cooked it slightly). During the week, I added it to lentil enchiladas for two meals. Later in the week,  I pulled out Veganomicon (also by Isa Chandra Moskowitz) and found the essential ingredients of a vinaigrette-equal amounts red wine vinegar and oil, salt and pepper-and poured it over the mix. I added in lots of fresh cilantro and LOVE it. I made a light but satisfying dinner last night when I got home late.

3. I fixed this Gardein brand Mandarin Orange Crispy “Chik’n” for myself one night after work after everyone else had already eaten (I work long days, but only 2 days per week). Plant-based and very very tasty.

4. Meal Planning. This structure has helped me to make one list and one shopping trip per week usually (as long as I use the planning system, ha ha). I didn’t want to blog about it until I used it over a decent period of time. I have a history of meal planning failure, or should we call it opportunities for growth… I have used this system for most of the weeks since the new year began. I plan at least three cooked dinners, usually including one or two new recipes,  and try to make enough for leftovers. I might cook something simple for my lunches at work or home. “Other” is usually a dessert or just something fun I want to try if time permits.  I make a thorough shopping list and then make one big trip to the grocery for the week. I adapted mine from a similar sheet used by Diana at Veggie Next Door blog, who is obviously much more structured than me. Here is mine…created with the table function in Word.

What have you been cooking? Whether you are a full-time vegetarian or not, I’m curious what you think of Gardein products if you have tried them…Let me know!

Things lost and things gained in Boston

**Note: This is a non-food post.

The following is a summary of my stream of consciousness since the events of Marathon Monday in Boston. I grew up in a suburb of Boston, until my family moved away when I was 15. I was able to run the Boston Marathon in 2009. (Written before the events of Friday).

I’m so glad I got my chance to run the marathon pre-2013. Before this happened. I’m sad for those people who never got to the finish line They were going to make it, worked so hard for their moment, and events, actually pure evil, got in the way. Who knows if they will make it back again. I’m sure the organizers will let them come back, but not everyone can afford it when coming from out of town. In the future, there will be kids who don’t get to come watch mom or dad. Whether they will realize it or not, some will dismiss bringing the family because it’s obvious the marathon could be a target again. Kids will miss the chance to catch a game at Fenway, visit the duckling statues in Boston Common, and see Paul Revere’s house, Old North Church, and Old Ironsides.

I’m grateful I made it a point to enjoy my day there, running in Boston so many years after we moved away. I carried a disposable camera, made mental notes of the things I saw and experienced. I remember the biker bar with “Highway to Hell” blasting, the Twizzlers handed to me, the chalkboard giving the current Red Sox score, the turn under the bridge as we entered the Back Bay, and aiming for that darned Citgo sign. Oh, and after all those years of watching Heartbreak Hill, it was actually way less steep than I expected. But the downhills–worse–as noted by my trashed quads and slow performance that day. So many iconic sights I had only seen on TV. Will it ever be the same for the others? Will they look forward to meeting their family at the finish line without any worries for safety?

My younger son was only 9 the year they waited at the finish on Boylston, close to that poor little guy’s age, the boy who is no longer with us. My sons had adorable first communion pictures too…

I’m profoundly bothered by the events of Monday. Of course I mourn the injuries and passings of innocent bystanders. But it’s more. The great marathon, really the only one I knew about as a kid. We watched it every year on TV, who wouldn’t? The drama of Rosie Ruiz (she took the T and acted as if she had won the women’s race!), Boston Billy, Joan Benoit, and world records. Patriot’s Day was a day off and a day to marvel at this amazing event that came to our town. We didn’t go to see it live, heck, we were not a running family. But I believe there had to be a reason I joined the high school track team out of the blue. The only thing I can figure is my spark came from my fascination for the Boston Marathon. Running has been a part of my life for so long and so has this marathon. I celebrate the joy and the inspiration it has brought into my life. I mourn that it is now changed forever.

P.S. Now that the perpetrators have been found, and the city came together in dramatic fashion, I have no doubt the marathon will come back stronger than ever in 2014. But changed too. Writing this piece was therapeutic for me last week.

Cheese, you are a problem! And pizza…

As I started really moving toward a plant-based diet (i.e. vegan), I didn’t miss cheese too much at first. Yeah, right, for about two days. But once I got over the first week or two, I honestly didn’t think I craved it anymore. Ha. I was fooled. Sure, I had my trusty bag of Daiya cheddar shreds in the refrigerator drawer where I used to keep about 6 types of cheese at any given time. I didn’t break into them often, and frankly didn’t think I liked them much anyways. So why bother?

Then I started to really miss pizza. Sure, I tried versions of bare pizza with sauce and some toppings. The result was ok, but it didn’t have that “it” factor I was craving. As I have read more, I have seen this concept discussed again and again. Vegan experts generally agree that when one has trouble with feeling full or satisfied on a plant-based diet, it may be due either to not meeting calorie requirements (believe me, not the case with all the cooking I’ve been obsessed with) or missing the creaminess/fat that comes with animal products. Others talk about casein in dairy/cheese being addictive and opioid-like, but I’m not convinced on that. It may very well be true, I don’t know. I just wanted pizza.

You might wonder why I will go on and on about Daiya brand. I don’t have any endorsements or free products, but wouldn’t that be nice? I like the fact that it is oriented toward vegans and additionally toward people with food allergies. No dairy or nut products (they do state that coconut is the exception). The products are soy and gluten-free, which is less of a concern for me, but critical to others. I can’t have cashews in the house due to a child’s severe allergy, which means no cashew cheese recipes. Therefore I seek safe yummy “cheese.”

I tried it with a pizza made with sub rolls and really liked it. This is not gourmet here, but I hope it might help if you are looking for an exceptionally easy and delicious pizza. It should work on any crust; I’ve just been in “fast and easy” mode and have used pre-sliced rolls. I am now CERTAIN I like Daiya cheese (a lot!) when heated and much less when not.

Pizza!

Ingredients:

Hoagy or Sub rolls, any bread or crust could be used, just be aware I started with an already baked “base” to my pizza

Muir Glen brand Organic Pizza Sauce

Freeze-Dried cut basil (Fresh would be great but it was not available or attractive in Feb/March)

Toppings: I only used sliced green olives each time, but add any you want

Daiya brand mozzarella shreds

Directions:

(Set oven to broil.  I used broil-high and my oven rack in the second from the highest position).

1. Place your sub rolls or bread open side up on a baking sheet. Spread with the desired amount of pizza sauce.

2. Liberally sprinkle basil over sauce

3. Add toppings (cook vegetables slightly ahead of time if they won’t be soft with the short cooking time)

4. Add Daiya mozzarella shreds

5. Broil (mine took 6-8 minutes) as you watch very closely for light browning of the cheese.

6. Enjoy!

 

If you have any tips on vegan cheese or pizza, I’d love to hear…

 

 

More Cooking from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Here are the other recipes I tried from Isa’s cookbook, as I cooked along with the VegCookbook Club. Moving onto a new cookbook in April.

Basic Scrambled Tempeh-I should have actually read the little box on the page that suggested steaming the tempeh before making the recipe to reduce bitterness. It was a little too savory for me, but I’m pretty sure it will be fine with the steaming and maybe a little  mustard dressing as a sauce/dip. Greens for brunch are a grand idea.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins-Very good. Love the lemon flavor that comes through from fresh lemon juice and zest.

Roasted Butternut Squash-Of course I loved it. Approximately 50% of all posts I’ve ever done involve squash in some way or other. Apparently I was too busy eating to take a picture.

Roasted Potatoes-The basic version was delicious. I couldn’t stop tasting my way through a large cookie sheet, almost.

The Perfect Pancakes I made a few weeks back in my first post on this book were, well, perfect. I still plan on the pumpkin pancakes as soon as I can. I ate too many of the muffins and potatoes last weekend and couldn’t bear the thought of pancakes. Hmmm, maybe I can’t count as a real brunch aficionado.

 

I loved this cookbook and will be obtaining my own soon. I am really lucky to be able to borrow books like this from my library as I try them out.

I appreciate Isa’s sentence at the end of the introduction: “Nothing is as delicious as a day off, good music playing, warm food for your belly, and the knowledge that you did it all without harming any of our fluffy friends.” Yes.

Have a wonderful weekend and may it include a nice brunch!

Spot-checking my plant-based diet

I recently downloaded a new (free) app called My Fitness Pal onto my iPhone. I had read in a blog (I truly don’t recall which one) that it was a useful way to “check” how you are doing with getting the appropriate number of calories or nutrients. Personally, I worry a bit over getting the optimal amount of calcium, iron, and protein. This app is very useful. You can search the database for foods that are already in there (most of mine were) or scan a bar code. Then you can adjust for how much you ate. For instance, when I have steel-cut oats in the morning, I eat 2 servings, which was easy to adjust. The app can even adjust for fractions of a serving. I was impressed that the database had the basic information for a recipe I made from the Peas and Thank You cookbook, although it didn’t have the level of detail to include the smaller nutrients such as calcium and iron for that recipe. Therefore, my calculated numbers for calcium and iron are probably below what I consumed.

So, how did I do on my spot-check day? I was pleasantly surprised. Iron was just fine-and I learned that my steel-cut oats and squash and hummus are awesome sources of iron. Calcium was ok too, considering I take a supplement. My diet provided 63% of my requirement, and my supplement provides 66%, with 2 tablets. Therefore, I just took one calcium tablet that evening. I’ve never been good at getting enough calcium through food, and that’s ok with me. I’ll work on that at some point. The winners for providing calcium were kale (curly kale in a smoothie and baby kale in a salad) and squash.

After calculating my nutrient intakes with this app, I’ll be heading to Costco a lot more often for their amazing peeled and cut butternut squash. I love their 2 pound package for 3.99.

Butternut squash rocks the nutrition numbers…(this picture is from my own labor-intensive butternut squash cooking in the fall)

When it came to protein, never fear Mom, I came in at 49 grams. This is a bit over my requirement of 43 grams. I calculated my requirement a few years ago using the US Recommended Daily Allowance. I used the low end of the 10-35% of calories protein recommendation, because I believe that is most appropriate and healthful. I did cut my intake a bit close, however. Maybe I’ll make sure to add a little more protein with some nuts, which I usually do snack on every day, and might have forgotten to enter.

I think I will use this app once in a while, but I don’t want to use it every day–it’s time-consuming and I don’t want to be obsessive over intake. It might be something you want to try to perform a spot-check of your diet. Let me know how it goes if you try it.

Have a great week! I’m going to try to share my super-easy recipe for n0-dairy pizza this week or very soon. I think I finally am onto something in my pizza experiments.

 

Cooking from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

I started with a simple recipe from this month’s cookbook Vegan Brunch as I cook along with the VegCookbook Club. I can already tell I want to own this one (and guess who got an Amazon gift card for her birthday?). I did try to buy this locally to support our last brick and mortar book chain, but none in the city had it.

The pumpkin pancakes quickly caught my eye in Vegan Brunch. But I decided to play it safe first with the “Perfect Pancakes”.

They were delish and were also nice as a snack later. This was my first try at pancakes in a cast iron skillet. I would love feedback on what I encountered: I sprayed lightly with cooking spray (I was following her instructions for using cast iron which are given with the pumpkin pancake instructions) and the first side browned well. The second side, which hit the less oiled pan surface, was a teeny bit too crispy and didn’t look as nice. Do I spray again as I flip the pancakes, possibly spraying the other pancakes?  I’m asking in case I serve these to company. I usually cook pancakes for visitors, so I would love to have a great homemade version to whip out. This will meet the need.

In that spirit, I took a picture of the aftermath, i.e. how much cleaning and washing by hand were left when it was said and done. This was pretty light for me. Not pictured were: skillet, spatula, whisk, and bowl, which are hard to avoid whether you used a mix or not. I’d say, this certainly is a good recipe from the clean-up perspective.

I told my son he was the luckiest kid in the world-pancakes ready at 3:45 when he walked in. As for me, I’m already dreaming about those pumpkin pancakes.

I’d also like to try some savory recipes and master one sure recipe for guests. I’m thinking of trying Mushroom, Leek, and White Bean Pie or Basic Scrambled Tempeh, which has greens, onion, red pepper, garlic…

Have a good one!

Writing and musings…

When I first started out with this blog, I had a goal to write a post once per week. At times that has been really hard. Pathetic, I know you are thinking! But I came somewhat close, like maybe 80% of the time? You would think this weekly thing would not be strenuous, but as food-oriented bloggers know, cooking, experimenting, photographing…they all take time.

Recently–as I approach my first year of blogging anniversary–life has taken some interesting twists. Yes, it is the stuff of everyone’s life–work, family, friends, illnesses, deaths. It’s just the way life is. It has made me question this weekly goal, to wonder if there is really meaning in it. I am not paid to do this. I don’t get the yearly performance evaluation, thankfully. I probably knew it all along, this had come to cause me stress, another deadline hanging over my head and written on my to-do list. Logically, this led to: Do I really want to do this at all? I had to go back to why I started a blog…

Once I found the blog world, admittedly years after the rest of the world, I wanted to be able to interact with others within these blogs. It struck me, this was my perfect chance to write too! My desire to write originally had nothing to do with food. It had started with a thought, that I would like to write a story about a true (very inspiring and touching) incident with one of my young patients. I started it, and I think it could have been a neat little piece. Not professional, but maybe not bad for a medical person with no creative writing experience and a writing/grammar education eroded by a move to a new state in high school. Well, the wonderful world of HIPAA kept gnawing at me. HIPAA is the legislation that enforces and ensures privacy regarding medical records and information. I don’t want to be messing with it, trust me. I knew that no matter what, I could not disguise my story, and if I tried, it would ethically bother me and  the story would lose its beauty. That project conclusively went to the back burner. However, my desire to write for pleasure was soon confirmed via a well-crafted magazine article, which was kind of like a written life coaching session. My enthusiasm for all I was learning from the blogosphere and newly-found cookbooks was the perfect reason to start this blog. I am not sure why I felt goals and pressure had to come along.

The conclusion of this rambling is that I’m going to reduce the expectations I have placed on myself.  I will definitely still write here, but probably less predictably. I still have a passion for healthy, simple, vegetarian cooking and eating. I recognize that I want to write, but to what end, I’m unclear. I’m not sure if this writing pursuit will show itself on this blog, or possibly on a new blog not centered on food. I may find a creative writing workshop or class. And I may even have to put these ideas on the shelf for the time being. I haven’t felt much space and time for creativity recently.

As far as veggie blogging, I do have one tip/thought this week, and for me, it’s BIG. Finally, thank goodness, a non-dairy, not full of chemicals and artificial creations, coffee creamer. I will admit, I did not know if I would ever find a creamer that did not give me a daily reminder of how I missed my coffee the old way with dairy creamer. As I’m trying to explore and stick with a plant-based diet, this was a nagging problem. The winner is (after trying multiple soy, almond, and coconut options for months)…Trader Joe’s! If you ever have this can’t-find-decent creamer issue, this might be worth a try.

Thanks for reading and have a great week. Hope to see you soon.

 

Fun blogger stuff, part 2

I love this gal–

But first onto business…

Thanks so much for this Very Inspiring Blog nomination, Lidi, at hotspicyandskinny. Lidi writes a blog with inventive, colorful, and yummy recipes, with a Mexican-American twist. Personally, I can’t wait to make her Basic Bean Soup with the beautiful Peruvian beans. I just have to find Peruvian beans where I live…eventually I know I will, maybe not until my next trip west. I am super-impressed with how Lidi posts Weight Watchers points and nutritional information for each recipe-I’m sure that is lots of extra work! She has lots of veggie recipes too. Thanks for the nomination, Lidi, and right back at ya!

Here are the rules of this one.

• Copy and paste the Award graphic in a post.
• Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
• Share 7 things about yourself.
• Nominate 15 bloggers, and tell them by posting a comment on their blog.

So here are 7 things about me! I already shared some yesterday, so I will try to put a new twist on things…

• I would like to become a better writer. I figured this out about two years ago by taking a “What do I want to do in life” type quiz in Oprah magazine, oddly enough.
• I have run 6 marathons in 4 different cities.
• This is my second round as a vegetarian. Not going back.
• I’m not a big fan of onions, but I use a small amount in cooking.
• I like sunflower butter better than peanut butter.
• I am an extremely loyal friend. I lost contact with some friends because we were from pre-email/facebook days. As we’ve reconnected, we’ve picked back up right where we left off.
• I believe forgiveness is the key to a good life.

Here are some blogs I am inspired by: (Sorry, I don’t have 15–haven’t been getting in enough “blog” time lately)!

• The Food Allergy Chronicles–Susan has been a huge resource for me regarding my son’s nut allergy
• More Than Greens–Wow, do I wish I had her energy!
• The Peaceful Pantry–Her veg recipes are exactly what I like to eat

Thanks Lidi and hope it’s a good weekend for all! If you are here in the States, it’s the season finale of Downton Abbey. Agh, it came way too quickly!!

Fun blogger stuff

Thanks you so very much! Two sweet and prolific bloggers nominated my blog for some recognition. Definitely unexpected and appreciated. I’ll elaborate on one nomination in this post, and then other in the next. The first one was back in December, maybe? I have to apologize for my procrastination and glacial pace of carrying on the spirit of More Than Greens for the Liebstser Blog Award. Check hers out-it’s fun and very pretty! For this award, I get to post 11 facts about myself, answer her questions, and pass 11 more questions on to the 11 blogs that I nominate. Whew…….I’ll be elaborating more on what is keeping me so busy soon.

Ok, 11 facts first up.

1. My all-time favorite books from my childhood are Harriet the Spy and Charlotte’s Web. I still need to see the movie version of Harriet. I remember uncontrollably laughing out loud as I would read and re-read it.

2.  My tastes have truly changed to appreciate vegetables and actually crave them. It is possible to change your palate as an adult. I love veggies vs. the mindless toleration of them I used to feel.

3. I have attended both men’s and women’s World Cup games in the U.S.

4. I really need to read a book before seeing the movie it’s based on. It just doesn’t work for me the other way.

5. I mess up about 50% of all recipes I try. But then I get it right (usually) the second time. Not a natural-born cook. Definitely.

6. If I could only have three foods to survive on, I guess it would have to be quinoa, blueberries, and broccoli. Not sure if it would be nutritionally adequate, but it might be close?

7. Working with children as an occupational therapist is not for the meek. Just kidding! But what other job gets you sneezed on, peed on, and provides quotes so hilarious that you have to keep a running board in the office?

8. I have two boys. I have two brothers and no sisters. It’s hard to imagine how it would be to raise girls.

9. Food Network faves: Chopped, Cupcake Wars. Needs a veg show.

10. I have tried a few mini-triathlons. I’m afraid to use clip-on bike pedals. I guess that career is not going any further

11. I really really love my job.

The 11 questions I was asked to answer:

• If you could trade lives with anyone for a day, who would you pick? Anyone who works at VegNews, ha ha. Lots of samples. In all seriousness, I’m not sure. Maybe someone who works on Downton Abbey.
• What would you cook to impress your friends at a dinner party? Lentil Enchiladas.
• What is your favourite item of clothing? Comfortable pants, i.e. warm-up pants.
• Where do you want to go on your next holiday? The U.S. Southwest.
• What is your favourite way to spend a Sunday? Cooking, walking or running with someone in my family if possible, a quiet relaxing evening. Would not include groceries or laundry!!
• Who inspires you? Peacemakers–Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa.
• What was the last film you saw the the cinema? Oh so embarrassing…I don’t recall! Might have been a Harry Potter movie with my kids.
• What was your favourite novel of 2012? Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.
• What was your favourite cookbook? Veganomicon.
• If you could live in any era, which era would you pick? Now. Women have more freedom and opportunity than any other time. Not going back.
• What is your favourite city in the world? New York City.

My questions for the next nominees…

• Wine or beer (or neither)?
• What is your favorite vegetable?
• Favorite movie of all time?
• What is your most used and splattered upon cookbook?
• Where did you go on your last trip for business or fun?
• What has been your best investment in the kitchen, not including basic appliances?
• Favorite sports to watch and play?
• In two sentences or less, what is your take on The China Study by T. Collin Campbell?
• Do you read paper newspapers?
• What is your favorite grain?
• If you were stranded for a month on an island with one other person, what one board game would you choose to pass the time?

My nominations are to these blogs: I know it’s only a few, but I have not been keeping up on exploring blogs as much as I wish I could–and some of these may not be on the newer side (and I had trouble figuring out number of followers)–but they are fantastic! I thank them for teaching me and inspiring me.

• A Rented Kitchen
• Veggie Next Door
• Plant Infusions

Here is a good summary of the award procedure.

So, what are you all cooking this weekend? So far, I’ve made a big pot of quinoa…Not sure what’s next. My refrigerator shelf which also holds the produce crisper drawer broke into a heap of plastic Thursday night at 10:15 pm (thanks, needed that!). Now the crisper is only accessible by lifting a glass shelf fully off of it, after moving items off this. I’m basically down one shelf and easy access to the drawer. This will not be conducive to much veg cooking! Wish me luck on a speedy replacement shelf. We won’t be fixing this ourselves, unfortunately.

Things Making Me Happy

It gets a little rough here by February. Don’t get me wrong, I was always (and still am, a little) offended inside by people talking about how hideous February is in Ohio. My birthday is at the end of the month, and when you add in Valentine’s Day to break up the monotony, it’s not so bad, right? Hmmm. I haven’t seen the sun since last Wednesday I believe. I know there was some Friday, but I arrived to and departed from work in darkness…Definitely not a ray detected in the past 3 days. I think I’m just trying to see if we’ll break the record that I tracked a few years ago when we went 9 days without noticeable sunshine! All of this calls for me to internally review my personal philosophy–just hang on for spring, stay busy, and keep taking Vitamin D. After all, it would be worse in Alaska or Greenland, I suppose.

So, in the spirit of February (love it or hate it) here are 5 things I am pleased with right now. I hope you might pick up a tip or two along the way!

1. This snow was pretty today. It came down in huge flakes (look in the upper right corner of the tree picture!), and fast. I caught my tree with my neighbor’s tree just behind it.

2. This French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme was out of this world. I finally cooked a full recipe from Veganomicon. I fully recommend you try to find this recipe and make this…or buy or get the book from the library. This is a superb cookbook to have, whether you eat vegan or not. This recipe was not as detailed as some of the Veganomicon recipes appear to be.  As I mentioned in the past, I have used this cookbook quite a bit for basic knowledge in cooking veggies. Oh, how I just wanted to inhale this soup in between gazing at how pretty it looked in my red pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. This greens mix is contributing to my Zen attitude. I noticed the Power Greens mix (also by Earthbound Farms) was out at the store. I like this better anyways. I found this at Whole Foods. The greens (all young) are spinach, Asian mustard, Kale, Chard, and Mizuna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Cast iron pan. I’ve always been frightened of these things…certain that everything would stick. Believe me, I could make butter stick (back when I used it). I had looked at Lodge brand pre-seasoned cast iron on Amazon before, but was still skeptical. I found this Lodge skillet at Home Goods for only 14.99, and the seasoning looked reasonably likely to work. I just got it out today and look how pretty it is.  I feel confident I can use it for most tasks. The care is simple, wash and use a stiff brush only with hot water. Lightly oil with a paper towel after each cleaning.

5. Recipe from Happy Herbivore Abroad cookbook by Lindsay Nixon, for “Nona’s Chickpeas”, using cast iron pan. All for me!! My significant other hates green olives. I find most of Lindsay’s recipes are on the easier (quicker!) side–and if I haven’t made it clear over the past year, that is a good thing. They are super healthy, fully plant-based, and don’t even use oil. They fit into my meal planning pretty easily. The truth is, I do have to alter some things for the boys, but that’s to be expected in my world.

6. Ok, there’s a quick 6th. Have you seen the movie The Blind Side? The real-life main character was on the winning Baltimore Ravens in the big game last night. They featured him with his adoptive family on the news tonight. I just love that story and movie. Truthfully, I would really love to meet the real-life mother, Leigh Ann Tuohy. Read/watch the above link and you probably would love to as well… If you haven’t seen the movie, you should. I think I’ll be watching it again soon…Distraction in February is the key…

How’s your winter going? Or if it’s your summer, please fill us all in. Give us hope!