MIA

Sorry for going MIA the last few days. I really enjoyed the time with the family and my son is here on Spring Break although we don't spend every waking moment together it is just nice knowing he is here.



My daughter and I went down to the Chopping Block in Lincoln Square on Saturday morning to attend Dawn Jackson Blatner's cooking class. If anyone is considering incorporating more plant based food into your diet you "HAVE" to get her book, The Flexatarian Diet" It is a wonderful book and I can't thank Abby enough for bring it into my life. I tell everyone about it.

We enjoyeds eating some wonderful vegetarian food Dawn prepared. I always leave her classes motivated to continue on my journey of healthy eating.



I wanted to show you what I made for my daughter to take home. I think I have talked about this before but I am going to talk about it again. I made her some homemade pitas. I remember when I made them for the first time I was so scared thinking they were difficult, I was wrong.



Pita Bread



1 1/8 cups warm water

3 cups all-purpose flour ( I use 1 1/2 cup white flour and 1 1/2 cup wheat flour)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast



I put all the ingredients in my bread maker and put it on the dough setting and let it do all the work. Love that! When the dough is ready I turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch the dough into a eight inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6-7 inch circle. Cover with a towel and let the pitas rise for about 30 minutes until slightly puffy. I put a pizza stone in the oven and turn the oven to 500 degrees. When the oven is ready put a pita on the stone and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not over bake because you will lose your pocket. Take it from me I know. Remove from oven and immediately wrap in tin foil. After the pitas have cooled removed from tin foil and store in refrigerator or what I do is I freeze them and take them out when I needed them.



Roll out the eight ball in to 6-7 inch circle and let rise until slightly puffy.

This is one that has come right out of the oven. Look how puffy it is? This is what will form the pocket.

Place it immediately in a piece of tin foil and let cool. Seriously these are so easy and well worth the effort. Now that I gave all mine to my daughter I need to make a batch for myself. I love have them in the freezer for a quick lunch filled with beans or I use it to make pita pizzas.

Here is the BIG reason I was MIA for a few days! There is nothing like having the whole family back together even if it is just for a very short time. I treasure the time together.

Busy Beaver

Has been a very busy day today but before I get into all the happening of today lets talk about last nights snack....
I knew that I had to use the Vitamix but I wasn't quite sure what to make so I just started throwing in stuff I had.

Chocolate almond milk, frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, cocoa powder and PB2. My first attempt I could not get it to mix and I was almost devastated but I added a little water and we were good to go. The result was fabulous take a look for yourself.

I love every last lick! I almost added agave into the mix but I have really been trying to stay away from as much sugar as possible so I felt that the strawberries and bananas was enough and I was right. Fabulous!

Today was another beautiful sunny day. I was side track from a phone call from a friend who needed a listening ear so I ate some blueberries and coleslaw while talking to her. After our conversation I was out the door for a good 60 minute walk. It really does feel good to be out doors again.

I started making a cake for my sons birthday on Friday and vegan treats for my daughter to take home. As I was going about doing this I started to nibble and it was a clue for me to stop and have a satisfying and substantial meal. So I made a nice big salad and added some "chik" nuggets in. Hit the spot.

Now you may be asking about the vegan treats. Here is two of the ones I made I have one more yet to make. I didn't even take a bite of these because I know where that will go and daughter won't have any to take home.

This recipe is from Oh She Glows These are called Raw Energy Cookie Bites and

I had just enough dates to make both cookies.

I also made a batch of cookie balls. I was trying to find the link for this recipe but I gave up. I think some times I just have way to many recipes. This is a easy, quick and simple.

1/4 cup cashews

1/2 cup dates

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoon brown sugar

Put everything in a food processor and blend. Couldn't be any easier than that. Don't tell my daughter I will tell her I slaved for hours making them. ha ha! I didn't get to making her the pita bread so I will do that tomorrow.

But all in all I had a very productive today. Now I am off to make dinner for me and hubby it is always a late dinner on Wednesday when he comes home. I ate the salad late so I am good.

Fried bean sandwiches! Yummy! I will post a picture of that tomorrow. This is actually a recipe we both can enjoy together. Love that!

Let it Shine, Let it Shine, Let it Shine

I knew it was going to be a good day when I was taking the train into work this morning and the sun was shining! There is something about the sunshine that makes me happy! So I made sure I took advantage of it and took the dog for a walk as soon as I got home from work today. I had to cut the walk short today but was able to get in a good 2 mile walk, felt SO good.

After talking with my Wellness Coach I had a plan of how I was going to tackle the next couple of days. Both my daughter and son will be coming home this weekend and I want to spend as much quality time as I can and no stress which can cause me to be a little on the crabby side and I do not want that for this weekend. So after my phone call I immediately did my weight training which felt great and then I head out the door to pick up birthday presents. (both my husband and son's birthday are this weekend (son on Friday and hubby on Sunday)

I came home and had thought about making a big dinner and I rethought things and figure it is just me while don't I just enjoy the evening and having a no fuss dinner tonight.

I had some In a Jiffy Spelt Veggie burgers in the freezer so I threw those in the toaster oven and toast up some Ezekiel bread. When everything was ready to go I just spread on some tomato paste and spinach. This is one of my favorite dinners.

I didn't want to forget about the veggies so I made a little plate along with one of my favorite hummus recipes. I remember when I made this for the first time I wasn't sure if I really liked it but now it is one of my favorite hummus recipes.

Black Bean & Orange Hummus

From Eat, Drink and be Vegan

2 1/2 cups cooked black beans

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 1/2 tablespoons almond butter

1 large clove garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1 teaspoon orange zest, grated

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons parsley, chopped (for garnish)

In a food processor, combine all ingredients (except parsley for garnish) and puree until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl several times. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.

Oh this is SO good! Love it love it! Let me know if you give it a try and what you think.

Are you ready for the big surprise? I can't hear you? Are you ready?

Isn't it beautiful? This arrive last night after I got home from Yoga and it was too late to play around with it but I am hoping to make something with it tonight that I can enjoy while I am watching Biggest Loser. I will give you a full recap tomorrow.

Have a great evening!

What is your favorite easy recipe that you go to when you want a quick meal?

I love having frozen veggie burgers in the freezer just a quick and easy meal. I also like to make salads or plain and simple left overs.

Have you gotten anything lately that you have been wanting for a long time?
The vitamix is one of the things that I thought I would never be able to purchase. Thank to my wonderful mom she say this on sale on QVC and I just could not beat the price. Thanks mom!

Do you feel happier when the sun is shining?
I feel so different when the sun in shining I am not sure if was because of the long and dreary winter but it was a welcome to see.

Breath Of Fresh Air

As I was riding home on the train this morning the sun began to shine! It was so wonderful to see. I have to admit I was getting tired of dreary days! So I knew what I was going to do when I got home. As soon as I arrived home went to the bathroom, laced of the sneakers, put the lease on the dog and we were off! Although it wasn't very warm out it felt SO good to be in the sun. I was feeling so good that I decided to take the longer route today. We went about four miles in less than 60 minutes! It was fabulous and I can't wait for spring.

When hubby and I were out grocery shopping this weekend I had remember I saw this wonderful gem at Whole Foods

I have seen them in the blog world and when I saw it I knew I just had to have it. So I casually told hubby about it. He was sweet enough to drop by Whole Foods. I didn't realize it was going to be quite so expensive and I wasn't sure he was going to be so willing to spend that much. But as you can see I have it! I really like it because it is glass there is just something about drinking out of plastic that isn't quite as appealing.

Well I finally decided to make something new tonight for dinner. After my walk and eating lunch I decided to whip this dish up so that it could marinate while I was off to Yoga. And this is what was waiting for me after a nice Yoga session.

I wasn't quite sure how it was going to be when I put it together but it was quite delicious and quite filling too.

It some time is nice not having hubby here so that I can experiment with new eats. I am sure he would not have given this one a taste.

I served it along with some steamed Kale that I sprinkle with a little bit of seasoned rice vinegar. It was absolute perfect. I may have had a little more after this was gone.

I got this recipe from the 21 days kickstart program that PCRM (physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) does a couple times a year. I have never actually followed the whole 21 day program but I did print all the recipes and menus.

Hoppin' John Salad

Makes about 10 1/2 cup servings

2 cups cooked blacked-eyed peas, or 1 15 ounce can black-eyed peas, drained

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 cup finely sliced green onions

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 tomato, diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 -2 garlic cloves, crushed

Combine black-eyed peas, rice, green onions, celery, tomato, and parsley in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, oil, salt, and garlic and pour over the salad. Toss gently. Chill 1 to 2 hours if time permits

It was fabulous! I really liked it and I can't wait to have it again tomorrow for lunch. (one bad thing about being the only one that eats it) A lot of left overs and I don't like to waste left overs.

I received something very special in the mail today and I can't wait to show you. But it will have to wait until tomorrow since I want it to have a grand entrance!

Also would like to share with a few new books I have been reading that I have found quite interesting. But it is getting late and 5:00 am comes quite early and a girl needs her beauty sleep. So until tomorrow..... Have a great evening!

Just Breath

I must remain calm and focus on my breathing and know that everything will be all right. I made the "HUGE" mistake of getting on the scale today. I am still in shock and not sure yet what to do with the information. I have not weighed this much in quite some time. I am disappointed, confused and so much more. I truly have felt like I have been on the right path, The binges are almost nonexistent. I continue to feed my body with non processed foods. I have almost completly cut out white sugar and white flour. So what am I doing wrong?
So what do I do with this information? Do I just hope that eventually it will turn around? Do I go back into my controlling ways? Or do I continue to be loving and kind to my body and wait and see?
Although in the past I have wanted to take control immediately and make it better but as I sit here and think has it truly served me? I know I am so much more than a number on the scale but some how I wished that if I chose wisely what i put in my body that I could have it all. I could have a body that I could be content with and enjoy all the wonderful foods I love.
I sit here not even quite sure what move to make next. I feel like some times you can learn so much more in just the silence to just sit with it. So that is what I am choosing to do. I am not going frantically to another diet full of restrictions and exercise I am going to sit with peace and pray that I can find "MY" way. I will continue to listen to my body and my soul and know what it right for me. And if my body chooses to be heavier but yet peaceful and content then I want to embrace it.

Eats and Emotions

Always start out with a positive right? Let's talk about my dinner yesterday. I just got done reading a book called "Veganist" by Kathy Freston and she had recommend Gardein as a transition food if you are considering gradually reducing the amount of animal meat you eat. When I saw this at Meijer I knew I had to get it. I had cooked a little of it last week in some spaghetti sauce and hubby said it wasn't too bad. So when trying to figure out dinner last night I thought I would incorporate it into dinner.



I cooked some onion and garlic in a little oil and then diced this "chicken" in to pieces added it to the onions and also added some black beans since I didn't think two pieces was going to be enough. I added cumin and some tomato sauce and let it simmer. I put this filling inside some low carb tortilla and topped it off with some homemade enchilada sauce and some vegan cheddar cheese. Cover with tin foil and baked at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

I didn't think it looked to bad but I have gotten use to this way of eating since I haven't eaten meat, cheese or dairy for quite some time. I think my husband had other feelings.

Since it was late by the time my husband came home I had eat a salad earlier to keep me tied over until he got home so I had two of these for dinner. Hubby said it was ok but would much rather have really cheese. sigh....I guess I just keep trying with him. Some how dinner didn't feel complete with out dessert tonight.
So I made hubby and me each on of these.....

I saw this on Averie's site and I have tried several of her other recipes and this was quite and easy so I had to give it a try. It did not disappoint. The recipe is as follows:

1 mashed banana

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup brown sugar

optional: 1 tb cocoa, 1 tb coconut flakes, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tb chia seed

For hubbys he had everything but the chia seeds he doesn't care for those. For me I had used brown rice syrup instead of the brown sugar and i forgot to put the chia seeds in. I thought it was perfect!

You just mix it together spray a bowl with nonstick spray put the mix in the bowl and cook for 2-4 minutes in the microwave! It is wonderful when you are just needing a little something. Fabulous.

That was yesterday today was a totally different day. I had to remind myself that this blog I was going to keep it real and that is what I intend to do. Today has been a very emotional day and I comforted myself with food. I am not happy about I know beating myself about it will not change it and I have to move forward the best I can. Did I fill my body with crap? No I can be proud of myself for that. Did I fill my body with so much food that I was sick and wanted to throw up? ( I have done that in the past) no. Was I able to stop before I was to full? yes So in doing this small check on myself I can walk away knowing that I did the best that I could and that I should be proud of myself for how really far I have come. It wasn't too long ago that I would have eaten to the point that I wanted to die reaching for any thing and everything I could. I am growing I am learning. It may not be at a pace that I want to but I must be kind and loving to myself knowing that I am moving forward every so slowly?

Are you an emotional eater? Have you use any strategies that maybe helpful when dealing with emotional eating? I would love to hear your thoughts.

The Universe Speaks?

Have you ever thought that the universe can send you messages? Kind of like Karma? For example you start thinking about some one and then they call you or you have a night where you question why you are even on this earth and then the next morning you get two emails that prove you wrong. This is exactly what happened to me today. Yesterday my cycle began and with it came the wonderful emotions. Wonder why these emotions can't be positive? I sat home alone feeling down and out having the question "What am I doing with my life do I have a purpose?" This morning I received and up lifting email check in from Abby which was nice to receive and the other.... From Sheri, someone I didn't know existed until today. She had come across my blog and decided to drop me a note. Sheri I am sure you don't even realize by doing that one small thing how much it impacted me. When I started this blog it was just going to be a place that I could come to write my thoughts but little did I know that someone would want to read them. I guess I was wrong. I really enjoyed blogging so why did I stop? I guess once I realized that others where going to read it and I visited other blog mine seems so insignificant. I began judging my blog against others and with it sucked all the joy out of it. I guess that has happen in a lot of the endeavors I have attempted. My own fears have stopped me from doing things that I enjoy. What a wonderful realization. I can continue to pick and choose how I want to do things and if it people joy it wonderful if not that's ok too.
So I want to blog again. I love food and health which I could talk about for hours. Ask my poor husband, mmm maybe that is why he took a job that he is only home four days out of the week.
I plan on sharing some of the wonderful eat I have been enjoying and some of the soul searching I have been doing these days. It seems a lot of us women are heading down the same path: peace, happiness and self acceptance. There is a huge community of wonderful women in the blog world to support each and everyone of us on our journey if we are willing to reach out and share our experiences and a words of support. Who knew that one small email could make such a significant impact one someone? I know it happened to me.
Tonights dinner I made Vegan enchiladas. Not sure how the hubby will like this one but I was pretty proud of myself kind of winged it and put it together so I am excited to see how they turned out. I will post details of the dinner tomorrow.
Thanks for reading and inspiring me to continue on my every winding road. As we know roads are not straight and smooth there are many detours, dumps, curves etc... But the ride can be filled with wonderful things to see and people to meet along the way.