Halfway Through...

I am on day 14 of this new way of thinking about food. Amazing how time has flown!!! My old cravings have been replaced with cravings for flavors, for crisp fruits and veggies, for new combos that I've never thought of before!! I'd say that is successful right there!! Although when Chris had pizza the other night, the smell drove me a little crazy... but the sight of it grossed me out. I think that's PROGRESS!!

Tonight's experiment was a variation on the theme of veggies and noodles and peanut sauce... Because I woke up craving it!!!

I bought these rice noodles at Trader Joe's:

They are good, but get really sticky. I haven't figured out what to do about that yet, but I've only used them once before!! They come in a two-pack and stay fresh for awhile! Handy, but I'm not sure if I prefer them to the dried kind...

Anyway, I thawed some broccoli and edamame, reheated some tofu I made yesterday (cut into pieces, fried in a pan with just a small spray of Pam until brown and yummy), and got the noodles going (2 minutes in boiling water).

Doesn't that just look YUMMY????

After that, I mixed up a blend of rice vinegar, tamari, some salt, some peanut butter, and sriachi sauce. I added some agave syrup (a tiny amount) to balance things out.
Before I added that, I added the noodles and some of the water from boiling the noodles, then added the flavoring mixture. And stirred!!!!!

Looks bizarre, tastes pretty darn good!!!

And it made enough for two days of meals!!!! LEFTOVERS!!

And here it is! My dinner. Sweet, crispy, delicious bell pepper on the side. Chris wanted to know what on earth the square things were. :) I love many things about tofu, but the best is that it takes on the flavors that it is around it. In this case, deliciousness.

And I get to eat it again tomorrow. With even more flavor absorption. Sweetness!!


On the beverage side, I've fallen in love with some new teas. I needed an alternative to water and my craving for soda. I also needed a tea that was decaf so that I could drink it after noon... Central Market came to my rescue, again!!

My FAVORITE right now is the Meyer Lemon. I make it in a juice jar with a little bit of honey. It's good hot or cold and easy to get PLENTY of fluids in. The Strawberry Pomegranate is also good, though it doesn't ring my bell as much as the Lemon does (much to my surprise!!!!). 



My next challenge is to make a big batch of Overnight Oatmeal, from the amazing blog here.
My aunt is coming into town tonight and the Ladies in the family are having breakfast together out at Point No Point Lighthouse tomorrow morning. My grandma loves getting out in the outdoors, but that's a lot harder now that she's 92 and needs a walker to get around. My Aunt has always wanted to go to Point No Point since she was a child. Apparently, the news on the radio when she was young always reported the weather at Point No Point. She thought it was a silly name and wanted to see it. And now she gets to!!!!

So tonight I will measure out oats, coconut milk, and ground flax seed, and soak it all together overnight. Tomorrow, we'll add our choice of toppings in the glorious setting and (hopefully) glorious weather!!

More to come soon!! Especially on how the oatmeal worked... If it's good, then I know what I'm doing for breakfasts once work starts back up!!! :)

OH, AND!!!!!

I noticed today that my clothes are fitting differently. Looking in the mirror, I discovered that some of the curves that really shouldn't have been there are getting less and less!!! Chris noticed, too, though he cautioned me that it's really too soon to see major changes. But there's definitely something different about how my shirts are laying. I'm good with that for now!!! Happy Sarah? YOU BET!! Also, no heartburn, no significant headaches, and less general achiness noted since starting this. And I don't feel hungry the way I have in the past, where it almost hurts. Just a general "Food would be good. Something tasty. Maybe with Cherries on the side" feeling. Sweet!!!!! Did I MENTION HAPPY SARAH???????

Day 9: The Day of the Slaw

After last week's lunch with my mom, I had a hankering for some coleslaw. And while driving home from work, I saw that QFC had Rainier Cherries for $2.98 a pound!!! Score!! Anyway, that was awesome. And then I got the makings for coleslaw... But I have to make it with no mayo, oil, or sugar... Cue the thinking face!!! SO I took my grandmother's Overnight Coleslaw Recipe that I've had for years and adapted... Here it is:

Half of a sweet onion, grated
3 big carrots, grated
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 head green (or purple) cabbage, shredded
2 cups kale, chopped into SMALL pieces (I still haven't bonded with it)
Optional jalapeno pepper (I'm a wimp... and I accented with sriracha sauce at the end...)

Vinaigrette- I sort of just poured and tasted and hoped... but it was something like 1.5 cups apple cider vinegar, 1 TBS agave syrup, Sea Salt, and some water... The best way to do it is to warm everything up and pour it over. But I just used warm water. :) Then I mixed it well together and poured it over the top. I moved everything into a gallon ziplock to help with the marinating. Chill for a couple of hours.

I topped it with some cashews, peanuts, and hazelnuts. YUM!!!

And then, because I felt like I needed something "filling," especially after watching Chris eat chicken nuggets and tater tots, I thought "What would a coleslaw wrap taste like?" So I tried it! And it's YUMMY!!!! Warmed spelt tortilla, a little sriracha sauce (that would be the red on the side of the tortilla), and the coleslaw. DELICIOUS!!!!

Chris thinks I'm crazy... But I'm telling you, it's GOOD!! And I'm having more cherries with it... After having about half of a head of celery with some peanut butter earlier... Chris doesn't get how eating like this works, but I'm loving the fresh flavors!!!!

I get to plan tomorrow's food adventure... I'll be experimenting more with tea, and other than that, I don't know! Stay tuned in case I come up with something amazing!! Or terrible... Or at least something!! :)

Energy!! And Ever Emerging Concerns About Veterans

So I've been waiting for the increased energy that I have heard so much about... And last night, I experienced it!! Unfortunately, it clicked in around 9pm. So I was awake until after 2. Not productive energy, but still, energy. I had a lot of time to think, about all manner of things. I like the way things are going on the vegan diet. I like how I'm feeling. And I'm excited to continue. I'm also realizing that with more energy coming back, I'm going to start wanting to help others more. It's something that I used to really enjoy. I love what I do, and I know I help kids at work. Communication is so important.

But I also have major concerns about those coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. Having watched some friends come home, changed, and knowing how things went with my dad's generation coming home from Vietnam, I am incredibly concerned about the long term effects of combat stress, being constantly on the alert, closed head injuries from concussive blasts, and the fact that when they come home, they are forever changed, sometimes slightly, sometimes significantly, always different. Like in Vietnam and WWII, returning soldiers are unlikely to talk about what they have been through. Life has gone on while they were gone, and many friends and family are not ready or able to understand what went on. I can only imagine, based on books written by returning soldiers and by some stories shared by friends, but there needs to be something available to these courageous men and women who have been through so much, given so much, and deserve to get the support they need to get back into Civilian Life.

In the fire department, especially disturbing calls, the responders sit down and debrief. They talk about what happened, how they responded, how they felt. What could have happened. What did happen. Sharing the information gives the memory less power. Growing up, many informal debriefs happened at my house. I learned early on that sharing traumatic events makes coping easier. Not everyone can listen to a debrief. Being horrified doesn't help. But being a listening ear can make a huge difference. I've tried to do that for friends coming home. I have done that for friends who are first responders. But I want to do more. I want to be part of helping those who have experienced incredibly traumatic events in the service of our country. Watching friends come home changed and not knowing what to do, and not knowing how to convince them that it is BETTER to talk, and that it will help relieve some of the pressure inside... It makes me feel helpless. I know that the VA has people to help. I could work there with guys who have significant TBIs and swallowing issues. But I know there are those to help them. My big concern is for those with more "mild" problems. Chronic stress, chronic memories, they take an ever increasing toll. Just look at the Vietnam Vets. 40 years later and so many are STILL struggling. And that was without the regular concussive blasts that roll through brains and disrupt connections from IEDs and RPGs. Add that to the stress of combat... I fear for the future of my generation.

I'm one person, with a degree in speech pathology, but I wish there was something more I could do. I can listen, without judging, without internalizing, and with compassion. I just wish there was a way I could use that skill to help. I guess I'm feeling helpless, as I watch more troops come home, knowing that so many in their lives won't understand enough, and that the stigma of PTSD may keep them from getting some help, and that the VA is overloaded and underfunded... It is so frustrating. If anyone has any ideas... I'm definitely open to suggestions. I want to do more. I just don't know what to do.

Soup and Chai... Not together!!

So while my significant-other-half was sleeping off his night at work, I was attacking the kitchen. I love when I finish loading the dishwasher at night and then don't run it because something distracts me and then it's too late (because it's loud) but then I forget for 2 days until there is only 1 spoon left... So I ran the dishwasher and cleared off part of the counter that I had been putting off for a few... weeks? (It looks much better now, by the way, and allows me to have easy access to my quinoa, split peas, lentils, and brown rice)

I decided that since it was relatively cool (at least in the house), that I would make SOUP. I love soup. As long as there isn't too much broth. I've discovered that I really like Stoop. Which is soup, with a little broth, so it's more like a stew... But whatever you call it, I wanted to make it. I found a really tasty looking recipe on Pinterest (What did we EVER do without Pinterest????) that led me here to an amazingly tasty looking blog. Spicy Thai Coconut Soup with Ginger, Lime and Vermicelli sounded AMAZING!!!! And I had all of the ingredients for it, and had just been wondering what I would do with my firm (not extra firm, not soft/silken) tofu that was waiting in the fridge to be made into something (hopefully) wonderful! Super simple recipe, though using a LARGE saucepan is a must... I meant to halve the recipe, but ended up only halving some of the ingredients, which meant I had to go back later and fix it.... and pour everything into a larger sauce pan when I realized there was no way the noodles would fit in the one I started with... That would be one version of "Pulling a Sarah". I also realized halfway through that I should take some pictures, as I much prefer blogs with pictures... And just like taking pictures!! So here are some:

 This is when I realized I needed a larger pot... And had the line from "Calendar Girls" pop into my head, "I think we're going to need significantly bigger buns" (in a British accent....), but I digress.

I added the edamame (I LOVE THESE LITTLE GREEN MONSTERS!!!!) and the sliced bell pepper and tried to stir... Um, why no, there is a scant half inch from the lip of the pot. How are you going to add noodles to this??? Much less stir to combine? And so went the search for a bigger pot... Which was successful, once I realized that I had to think like Chris, since he puts most of the dishes away...

This pot was much better. I could actually stir and bring things to a boil. I taste-tested and realized that I needed to add salt. The original recipe had optional fish sauce in it, which of course was not an option for me. But previous thai cooking left me very aware of how salty fish sauce is. So in went some salt. And life was better. And far more flavorful!!

In went the noodles. I realized that I hadn't actually bought the vermicelli noodles at the store. I had picked them up, gotten distracted, and put them back. Hopefully that distractability will diminish soon? Or at least I will remember to actually take my darn grocery list with me... Anyway, I had "Rice Sticks" and used those. They don't take long at all to cook. And pick up flavor like nobody's business!! Just like the tofu.

Some freshly chopped cilantro finished up the soup and added some extra freshness (I think I'll add some extra lime juice and zest, or use a larger lime) and I was ready to eat!!! SOOOOOO excited and HUNGRY!!!!

Here's my bowl of goodness!!!! My first taste was delightful (and hot) and I think that tomorrow it will taste even better, after the tofu and noodles soak in that amazing broth. Yummmmmmm!!

Now, while I was making this soup, I couldn't just focus on the soup (and listening to an audiobook and doing some dishes...), so I decided to make some Chai concentrate so that I could have a quick cup of chai in the morning on my way to the last week of ESY. I like the boxed stuff, but want less sugar. So I toasted up some spices, added water and ginger and half a lime (hey, why not?) and simmered it for awhile. It looked terrible... But smelled heavenly!!! For my Chai I used the following spices: Cardamom in the pod, star anise (of undetermined age, from my mom's spice cupboard), cloves, black peppercorns, allspice, a cinnamon stick, and a few coriander seeds (also from my mom's cupboard...). After toasting those briefly in the pan, I added water and ginger (I meant to add the fibrous remains left over from grating the ginger for the soup... Instead, I grabbed some of the grated ginger that I intended to USE for the soup.... Which meant that I had the opportunity to grate some more ginger... I'm guessing this batch of chai will be extra gingery. Which is fine. It's good for inflammation. Anyway, then I added a little nutmeg and some cardamom powder (I'm a Swede. We love cardamom). I brought it all to a boil and it looked like this:

 Gross. I know. Like something scummy just waiting to be washed out. (That's partly to do with the grated ginger that is all over the place....). Then I added black tea leaves, brought it back to a gentle boil, and then turned off the heat. It is still in the pan, steeping and getting all strong and flavorful. I will strain it into a jar later, adding some vanilla extract, and look forward to a cool, caffeinated beverage this week! I'll post a picture of it all strained out later... I want to enjoy my soup now!! It's super yummy. I think next time, I'll add broccoli to boost the veggie count, and to balance out the fact that I don't really like cooked bell peppers... 

One Week Down!!

It has been a busy week, and, from what I have read, a detox week for my body. I'm feeling better (no heartburn since I started this!!!), but haven't had the increase in energy yet. If anything, I have needed MORE sleep. But I think it's better quality sleep. Thursday, after working ESY and having an Eval/IEP meeting (which we all wrote that morning, since the kid hadn't been activated in our online program), my mom, grandma, and I went and had a picnic at Kitsap Memorial State Park.

 

 

Gotta love a Three Generations Picture...

 

My mom is great and made a picnic lunch that aligned with my new dietary challenge, and my grandma was game to try a vegan lunch! We had a spicy coleslaw with fresh mango in it, olives, and cherries, with iced tea (mango indica, YUM!!). I brought vegan chocolate mousse, which my grandma enjoyed greatly.

It is GORGEOUS out there (and where I plan to marry Chris in 2 years). There was a wedding going on, so we couldn't take pictures of where the ceremony and reception would be, or what the views from there are. But this is a good example!!! Olympic mountains in the background, Hood Canal in the middle, and AMAZING trees all around. It honestly was a great place to eat a plant-based meal!! And a place I plan on coming back to (with my mom's car and the Discover Pass that my parents have... So we don't have to pay to visit the park!!)

I've been working on increasing my use of spices to increase flavor. It is taking some getting used to. But I'm cautiously optimistic!! I realized yesterday that I could easily slide into the old habit of a mostly carb meal, even on this new adventure... I made rice noodles and tofu with a peanut sauce, and realized I hadn't put any veggies in it!! I wasn't paying much attention and did an old-habit oops. So I added some edamame and ate cherries for dessert and felt a little better. Today I'm planning on something that uses a TON of veggies. Not sure what it will be yet (have to clean the kitchen... Badly... And run the dishwasher. So I have knives to cut with and plates to eat off of...). That means I get to browse recipes and choose something new!!! SO exciting. My Pinterest board Plant Strong Recipes is full of ideas, as are the cookbooks I have here. I just have to page through and find something that looks good. I need to pick up some more cabbage and carrots so that I can make a coleslaw that hides Kale. Kale is an amazing food. So good for you. And something that I STILL haven't bonded with... I'm trying. I really am. I can hide it in soups (which do NOT sound good on days when the temp hits 80), and hopefully I can hide it in coleslaw. I am not at the point where I can eat it in a salad, and I am not a cold soup person. Soup should be hot. Preferably with toast or a grilled cheese sandwich with it. Which will not be happening right now. :)

Personal Status Update: As of Thursday night (day 5), I am down 10 pounds since starting. And contrary to Chris' opinion, it is not water weight. Because I have INCREASED my fluid intake, especially since I kicked the soda habit when I started this. I am re-bonding with tea and flavored water (naturally flavored, with lemon, lime, orange, a little tea). I still drink coffee, but am sometimes swapping it up for homemade chai. As much as I love the boxed stuff (Oh, Oregon Chai...) it has too much sugar in it. So I make my own and add just the right amount of honey or agave.

For breakfast today I had oatmeal with dried plums and dried pie cherries (both from my mom's yard! Nothing added to them!!) with some flax meal and walnuts. I added a tiny sprinkle of raw sugar (have used honey or agave in the past, wanted to try this today) and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon. I topped it off with some coconut milk (love that it's available all over the place now, so you aren't just stuck with soy!!). Delicious!! I wanted something crunchy, too, so had some celery with peanut butter alongside. And a cup of coffee with coconut milk creamer. Pretty good breakfast, though I ate at about 1pm.... Slept a LONG time. And feel pretty darn good now that I'm awake.

Some reasons I'm choosing the foods that I am, and avoiding others: I have a LOOOOONG history of food sensitivities, and have had many different tests done. Nothing "pops" on the typical allergy testing, but I've had a long intolerance of wheat (nothing like an insta-migraine plus full body inflammation and, more recently, vomiting), and almonds and avocados have shown up on other tests. So I avoid those for the most part. I will do a tiny bit of avocado in a California Roll, and some almonds if they are in a mix that would be a pain to pick out. But I don't add them to salads or use them for cooking. I think I have a tiny bag of almonds in the pantry in case there is a recipe that calls for some, but I'll likely substitute it out. I use the cartons of Coconut milk instead of Soy for a couple of reasons. I want to use tofu regularly, but don't want to overdo the soy intake. I am trying to avoid overdoing any one thing, since my body has the tendency of developing sensitivities to things. Plus, most soy milks have additions that I want to avoid. Coconut milk has few ingredients. And works well in all manner of recipes. I have some soymilk, but so far haven't opened it. Took awhile to find one without corn syrup or extra sugars or oils. That's what I'm trying to avoid!! :) I also made my own veggie stock, as many in the store had added sugar. If you want your stock sweeter, add a parsnip and an apple. Done. I have also decided to use a little bit of chocolate. I knew that if I tried to completely cut myself off of anything remotely related to sweets and sub in fruits, I'd fall off the wagon like the clumsy person I am!! So I am using high quality dark/semi-sweet chocolate chips (the mini ones) that are made with unrefined cane sugar and have little or no dairy in them. A little bit of chocolate goes a long way. I'm on the lookout for good vegan chocolate, but at this point, I am ok with what I have. :) Still better than the old food habits!!!

That's all I have for now. I'll post recipes later today if I come up with anything successful!!!! Or cautionary tales if I discover a really bad combo. :)

Day 4!!

Day Four. Cravings are better. Mom pointed out that experimenting with making our own chai might be fun. So that was today's challenge!! Turns out, it is just a few spices with black tea, adjusted for taste! Easy Peasy. Unless you forget to turn the burner off (thinking your just going to let things steep) and you evaporate all of the water out of the pan and burn the tea and spices... Then it's not so easy peasy... Or tasty...

But the first try (where I decided that I needed to adjust the spices) was yummy!!

So I plan to try again (paying attention to the stove this time...) so that I have a yummy drink in the morning that DOESN'T cost $5... Starbucks, your stuff is great, but now that I can't have my white chocolate americano... you just aren't cutting it. Time to make my own morning jumpstart.

The big success of the day was Chocolate Mocha Mousse!!

Here's what I did: Silken tofu, agave syrup, coconut milk, vanilla extract, salt, cocoa powder, instant espresso granules, and melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. Blended together: AMAZING!!! I put it in a plastic baggie for a picnic lunch tomorrow with my mom and grandma.

Next time, I'm going to blend everything except the melted chocolate before mixing in the chocolate. Although the mini chunks that didn't fully blend in add a nice texture!!! TONS of protein, lots of flavor, and totally within my culinary restrictions. :) Happy Sarah!!!

In case you didn't know, Trader Joe's has AMAZING Rainier cherries. I mean fantastic flavor and texture!!!! Mindblowing.

 As you can see, I've devoured most of the box. Will definitely have to get some more soon. On the downside, the corn from TJ's was not nearly as good as Central Market's. I was super bummed about that. But that just means that I'll have to pick up some more at Central tomorrow when I go.

I've been really enjoying browsing recipes. Pinterest has helped, but the best resources so far have been the books I ordered a few months ago.

 The Engine 2 Diet is fascinating, and the Happy Herbivore has some AMAZING sounding recipes!!!! I've also loved browsing http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/, which has amazing recipes and ideas. All are non-dairy. And chocolate is AMAZING!! :) Which has really helped my cravings. And just knowing that I have chocolate options really helps with getting through the cravings!! I'm excited to explore more... Meanwhile, back to the chocolate mousse.... I may need another bite...