Blissed Out

Despite the low calories and lack of fattening good things in my diet (cupcakes, cake, chocolate chips, peanut butter, etc.) , I have found a new love. Luna's and Larry's Coconut Bliss is heaven in a carton. I love it. Really, really love it. We now have the Vanilla Island, Chocolate Hazelnut, and Dark Chocolate. I didn't try the Chocolate Hazelnut due to my no nuts diet, but I have been mauwing on the vanilla and just today bought the dark chocolate. 

There is a problem though.. this deliciousness is no good for my waistline (although good on my tastebuds).

I have decided that although I am ingesting at least 60% of my daily saturated fat (wow!) it is totally worth it (assuming I can keep my intake within the serving size, usually hard with ice cream). I bought these on sale at $4.99 per carton, but the flavor is super good. They recommend to let the ice cream sit out for at least 5 minutes before inhaling which I tried once when I was super full (all other times I could not wait the whole five minutes- five minutes is way long when you are waiting for ice cream). I think it's a good idea if you can do it, otherwise it is very firm- exactly how you would imagine frozen coconut milk. The coconut flavor is pretty intense- it would make my friend Timm ill. But at least in the vanilla and the chocolate hazelnut, it is a nice complement to the other flavors. My husband even liked it, which is amazing- he's not usually big on coconut flavors. This stuff is soy and gluten free and most flavors are nut free too (yay!).  Looking forward to the dark chocolate tonight!! 

YES on PROP 2

Hi! I am voting YES on PROP 2 and if you live in California, you should too.

The argument has been raised by some AR (animal rights) groups that this bill does not go far enough and shouldn't be passed.  I understand this argument.  BUT... this is a change that can happen now.  And sure, it's not going to make the life of most animals a whole lot greater, they will still suffer and die.  But, its a wonderful first step.  I am thrilled about the work of Wayne Pacelle the current head of the Humane Society.  (Read about him in this NYT article).  AR is playing with the big boys of agriculture now.  It's a step AR needed to take.  All of the other AR methods and directions are of course incredibly important and valuable, but all fronts are needed to end the culture of factory farmed food in this nation.  GO PROP 2!!

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Blog 6 take 4

Yep, it's taken me quite some time to get this blog together, and I have no idea why.  

I'm into this blogging thing.  I think about it all the time, I blog in my head.  But,  I think the small child in my lap is sucking the computer based energy out of me and refocusing it on things like- learning to sit on one's own (way more important than the computer).  So here it goes... my garbanzo night!

A few nights ago I soaked some garbanzos- too many garbanzos.

So I had a lot of bean and need some inspiration.  I turned to a relavtively new cookbook on the shelf, The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook (to learn more about Cathe Olson the author, click here).  My husband bought this cookbook when we learned we were going to have a baby and in my first trimester I had no desire to abandon my vegan diet (although, I admit I was willing- that mother thing takes over you, and you are willing to sacrifice anything for the good of your child).  He was nervous about everything and although he had never been anything but supportive about my diet, he also knew that occasionally I only eat cake for a day or two at a time.  

So this cookbook- I enjoy it.  I feel as if it has a lot of ingredients that are already in our kitchen, which I admit is one of the big draws for me to any cookbook.  

So this special garbanzo night I made homemade falafel and crunchie chick peas with root vegetables.

We are big fans of falafel and not only was it good, but it was super easy to make.  You can see Olson's cookbook for the details, but I'll give you the jist of it here.

Process beans, lemon juice, parsley (we were out of onion which was really too bad and I think would have really helped), garlic, salt, and some other things I can't remember right now.

Let it sit for an hour, then make some nice patties.  Bake them or fry them and voila!  You have falafel.  Mix up some tahini sauce (also a recipe in Olson's book) to top your cooked patties.  

Crunchy Garbanzos consisted of cooked beans tossed with olive oil, salt, and spicy curry powder.  I used a premade curry powder mix we had stashed away.  I also baked them for longer than suggested  (maybe 45 minutes total?).  They were pretty delicious (these pictues make them look like lowly, beans, but no! they were special beans with a spicy kick).  

the final product: falafel with lemon tahini sauce on corn tortillas (not eating wheat remember?), some romaine lettuce, root vegetable salad, and I added a little black bean and corn salsa to add a kick.  I think it may have been a little better if I found an onion hiding in the kitchen.  But all together, easy and delicious.  

Day 5 Eats

Breakfast (mostly all week): corn flakes, rice milk, and bannana

Lunch: leftovers or corn chowder

Dinner: beans beans and more beans

But last night I has a wonderful meal

Thank you mother... Brown rice with sauteed vegetables in a delicious marinara I have never tried before, mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil

Why do things always taste better when someone else makes it and then does the dishes?

So this marinara- all organic, label says its from San Fran (not too far from us), surprisingly good (I'm not normally fond of the premade tomato sauces due to their tomato paste taste, I am a fan of their convenience though!), you could actually taste the onion in it.  And, well, its from Costco.  The company's website is: www.davesgourmet.com

ps- I have only been eating beans for days, so if in reality this sauce is not the oasis of deliciousness I am describing, you can understand why

  

Oh... my lovely husband is away at a seminar this weekend and the little one and I had the bed all to ourselves- I had so much room although I was battling the cats for it all night.  

On a different note: My dear friend Xanadu got me hooked on facebook, which is now my new obsession.  Somehow I make time for all the unimportant things in life and no time for things like long hot showers and sleep.  Are you dear blogworld hooked too?

Not for Eatin'

Residents of our neighborhood (there are 13!) 

Safe from ovens this holiday season (but not from coyotes and bobcats)

Day 4 of a diet void of soy

Well, I ate red beans for three days.  I froze the rest of them- I couldn't eat anymore!  

I managed one more meal of corn tortillas, beans, brown rice, and a stir-fry of yam, sweet potato, onion, and other stray veggies before I banished the beans to the depths of the freezer.

 

Last night we were nourished with delicious yellow mung bean dal (thank you mom).  I add some gluten/ soy free mini pizzas (cheese added for my dairy consumers, mushrooms leftout for my mushroom avoider, and artichokes skipped for the soyless- they were soaked in soy oil! a shame!), salad, and a dessert of baked apples.  

The apples cooked too long and the mini pizzas were dry and crumbly around the edge and undercooked in the center. 

 I used a gluten free baking mix that called for soy yogurt, which i am not eating.  I replaced it with extra rice milk- this I think is where the mini pizzas went wrong.  But... I didn't have to eat anymore red beans. Thank god.  I am going to be soaking chickpeas next (mmm... hummous, curry, what else?).  I will be entering the blogosphere for inspiration.  

Day 2: No Wheat, Soy, or Nuts and yes I am still vegan

Baby boy has been having some skin issues, so I am doing my part in helping him out.  As I am his only sources of food, I am cutting nearly everything I eat out of my diet.  So the adventure begins!  Today is Day 2.  I soaked a big pit of red beans last night and today cooked them up into a cajun inspired stew, add a little brown rice, salad with vinaigrette and it's dinner.  For breakfast I have been indulging in coconut yogurt, corn flakes with rice milk, and fruit.  Lunch is corn chowder (16 grams of protein per serving!).  I must say I am dying for one of the pumpkin spice cupcakes with pumpkin cream cheese frosting I made over the past weekend for baby's first halloween, but I have 3+ weeks to go! Wish me luck!  

testing, testing, 1, 2, .......3

"Tacoma, tacoma, tacoma is my town"  --- Public Bun (circa 1990's)