Yay for Cooking

I have been feeling very guilty for consuming predominantly processed foods by way of veggie burgers & frozen meals based on my fast paced life. However, I was finally able to take an evening to jump start some healthy cooking! The fridge is stocked, and a store pile is started in the freezer, with more to come. This week features, already prepared:
-Stove Top Sweet Potatoe Fries w/ Honey. Ohmyword!!!!! Ok, that wasn't healthy
-Zucchini Garden Chowder.
-Lemon Tofu Stir Fry
-Lemon Walnut Rice Pilaf (unfortunately, this will not freeze)

Still to Come:
-Loaded Chili
-homemade Veggie Burgers
-Famous Black Bean Soup


YeeeeHa

Soy & Estrogen?

I think that needs to be my new research project. How does soy consumption affect your estrogen levels? Because, honestly that's one of the reasons I've chosen to avoid Chicken & cow's milk: because of the added horomones. But, doesn't soy also affect them? I know for a fact that soy is consumed by menopausal women to help regulate them. Crap, am I back-peddling by consuming silk & soy based proteins?

Holiday Meats

That's right folks! I engaged in the two traditional holiday meats: Turkey for Thanksgiving & the Christmas Ham!!!

Since I made the decision to go Veg for myself, I can make my own rules. And my rules are: Major holidays are off. i LOVE turkey. I wasn't that worried about Christmas, but when I started glazing the ham this year, you better believe that I decided it was worth it to splurge.

And it was. For one day. (ok, 2: Thanksgiving & Christmas).
But, now I'm happy to return to my meat free lifestyle. It makes me feel good. Actually, I feel BETTER. Ahhhhhhh, natural foods.

still a pesca-tarian

Let's call it what it is: I eat fish. It's pescatarian.
I'm still here, and I still haven't eaten meat. Although, for some reason, my roommate's Sloppy Joe looked ridiculously tempting the other night. I think I was just hungry.

Here's a thought to ponder: My bagged lettuce mix that I neglected to open & consume stayed fresher than my pedicure. No Joke. I bought the lettuce mix the same weekend I got a Pedi with a girl friend who was in town. A week later I touched it up. Another one or two weeks later, I declared it a lost cause. That same weekend I discovered my un-opened lettuce in the Veggie Drawer and decided to risk it. It was still in decent condition!!!

Should this scare me? I think a little bit so....

i want chicken(s)

I want chickens. Of my own. In my yard. Back yard.


In recent months, I've come across people stating they want their own chickens. I've thought to myself: now, isn't that endearing and quirky?

Now I get it.

Today after reflecting upon the amount of egg whites consumed today, not to mention in this past week I realized how many eggs I should be buying. Then I tried to think about the source of these eggs.

But, that's just the problem. I don't know the source.

And for this reason, I want chickens.
I have a fenced in yard. Not to mention a back field that already has horses in it. They'd fit right in. (ooooooh, but as I type this I also hear the coyotes. would that be a problem??) I'm about ready to go out there with a hammer and nails and build a coop of my very own.

Almost.

lurking animal products

Today, when organizing my pantry/cupboard, I found cans of chicken based soups lurking in the corner. Chicken gumbo (for my favorite kind of sloppy joe's that i obviously no longer eat.....) (why didn't I have a last supper????), and two cans of Healthy Select Cream of Chicken soup - that make up a killer Chicken Tetrazinni.

They have been surrendered -no: transferred, relocated, displaced to my cousin/roommate's food cupboard. Along with (earlier in the game) my emergency in-case-of-illness Chicken Noodle soup's.

I guess I now need emergency Veggie broth...

Struggles

Last week was a challenge.

A new routine brought with it a change in lifestyle. Previous week & weekend of excitement left no time for food preperation. And overall feeling of blah left me... well, blah.

New time schedule of reporting to the high school meant that I skipped out on my normal breakfast of egg whites and opted for Bran Flakes. Whole grains, full of fiber, but lacking in the protein department. Two dinners were split between a large batch of Zuchunni Parmesean (fancy for breaded & baked Zuchinni w/ Marinara). Again, no protein. Exhaustion lent to stupid snacking vs. healthy nurishment.

So, this week is Mission Protein. I've whipped up a large batch of scrambled Egg Whites & Veggies to warm up each morning and eat in a tortilla (sorry folks, this girl doesn't cook at 5:30am). More eggs are hard boiled. Cheese & Yogurt stocked in fridge. And Morningstar Farm products are Buy One Get One currently at Publix. Woo! (This smart Publix shopper save over $23 yesterday...)

I've also decided to start monitoring my eating a little more closely via the WW Points system. I'm pretty anti-dietplan, but I have some old materials that I dig out every now and then when I need to get back to reality in terms of my eating habits. My goal is to lose 10 lbs for a specific event in November that I'd love to have a killer dress for.

Kids, I've consumed all but 5 points so far today. (I'm not going to tell you about my undocumented fat free coffee creamer). Dinner will be Green beans I steamed last night (oooh, those are protein, yes?), Spicy Black bean burger, & Perhaps a hard boiled egg to fill me up for a night full of grad school. Will there be enough points left for a final piece of Dove chocolate???? And let's pray that no one brings a treat in tonight for first week of classes....

Accountability requested.

Still Goin' Strong!!

It's been a while. Markedly due to travels to MI and further excitement in the land of Lakeland.

Highlights from the past several weeks:
*Homemade Salmon Burgers: Canned Salmon, Green Peppers, Onion, Bread Crumbs, & seasonings. Enjoyable, but very crumbly. They need more to hold them together. However, I question the quality of fish that comes out of a can in chunks. Is it worth this cheap form of protein?

*My mom was eager to buy me Veg products. I coached her on what to look for - so I could have faux meat patties while the family continues to consume saturated fats in the form of animal products. I pointed out that my least fave brand of burgers is Boca. She made a point to buy a box of Boca Vegan burgers. Ooops!

*My mom thought I still ate CHICKEN. Ummm No, no extra horomones for me, please.

*Mom did score on the MorningStar Farms Spicy Black Bean burgers, Yum Yum!!! And Morningstar Farms Chick Patties. Double Yumm again!!!!!!

*Fancy Family Style Dinner event at Amish Restaurant: I had the fore-thought to ask the server to bring me an extra salad with the meats. Then my dad passed the the mashed potatoes, looked me in the eye and asked: Can you eat these???
Yes Dad, Yes I can. Meeeeeeeeeat. It's meat I'm off.

*During said dinner, my parents, especially my father continuously looked at me asking: Are you Ok? Is this Ok? Hello plate filled to the brim with vegetables, potatoes, & noodles!!

*After this dinner, I believe I was among the few not feeling sick from over eating. (Although was considerably full as well.)

*Discovered store-bought Salmon Burgers at Aldi's. Bought two boxes. They are convienent and not too bad. But after eating 3, may need to take a break. I have an entire other box to get through.

*My new co-worker was telling me today about the joys of Chick-Fil-A chicken soup b/c I wasn't feeling well. I didn't have the energy or the heart to tell her I was a vegetarian. Ooops.

Home Again...

So.... I'm visiting the family.
1. Did I mention that I was raised on Meat & Potatoes?
2. My mom thought that I still ate Chicken. No mom - no meat. Chicken is meat.
3. My brother likes to say: Mmmmmmmm Sausage while eating it.
4. My mom bought me Veg patties. She is totally dazed by these creations. I love it. Specifically, Morning Star Spicy Black Bean Patties.
5. I'm officially the crazy girl in the family, if not the community.

Navigating the Theme Parks

Ok, folks, if I can be vegetarian in a theme park - where almost everything seems to be pre-prepared, cafeteria style dining, not catering to special requests - I think I can be vegetarian anywhere!!! (Well, not the Silver Ring Cafe'....)

Teacher friend and I went to Universal Studios today to cash in on our free summer teacher passes. As we started out, it was determined that food was a soon order of the day, and since it was early and much fun was yet to be had, we decided to try to take advantage of the Meal Deal (key word: tried). We bought this nifty little wrist band things for one price that allowed us to eat all day long - but only at three spots. (Not a big deal though, b/c we decided that if we could squeeze in 3 'meals' we'd definitely be getting a bargain).

Walking over to spot #1: Mel's Diner, I became apprehensive. What'll I eat? Drive In-esque Diners don't strike me as the Veggie burger type. Will I eat only Veggie Burgers all day long in the pursuit of survival?? While contemplating, I have to admit that the thought: Well, one or two burgers just this ONE time in this one inconvienent place wouldn't hurt THAT much....

But then came all of the associated thoughts: That is SO against why I'm doing this! What kind of a failure will I be?! If I cave now, I'll never recover. It's over.

So, wary of the food experience I entered Mel's. Scoped out the Menu. No Veggie Burger. Ho Hum. Mentally strategized and decided I could settle for the Grilled Chicken Salad minus chicken even thought it'd probably equal plain lettuce. But, the longer I stood there, the more creative my mind became and I was soon assembling a veggie sandwich out of condiments: extra cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onion...

So, by the time we made it up to Torrence to place our order, I batted my eyes, smiled sweetly and geared myself up to ask for special treatment. I started out with, "I need some help... I'm a vegetarian..." to which he interrupts me exclaiming "We have Veggie Burgers!"
I think he received the most possibly elated: "oh, you DO!!!!???"
Never in my life was I so happy to order a veggie burger. Mmmm Mmm Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Lupper was at the International Food something or other. I spotted a safe, but not too attractive Tuna Salad that I could handle. And then discovered the Egg Fried Rice and Steamed Vegetables with VEGGIE egg rolls! Score!! So yummy.

We never had room for Dinner (hah, wonder why...) But, alas, we were satisfied and still probably ate our money's worth on those stinkin' wrist bands based upon what they charge for dorm style food in amusement parks.



And so folks. If Stephanie can be Veg at Universal, I dare say that Steph can be Veg almost anywhere!

Success!!

Lentil Soup - with NO recipe, just some insight from friends, a little field research, and my personal soup knowledge.
It rocks. Although, I used a lot of the same strategies for it as my (personally) famous Black Bean Soup, so it tastes very similar. That isn't a bad thing, but not exactly along the lines of 'shaking it up.' That's Ok, I'm still learning.

So, the lentil soup lives on. The cheese, however, does not. (nor the dark chocolate peanut M&M's. I can't stop myself...) Once I deplete my cheese storage, I'm going to wait a while to replenish. I'm down to my favorite cheese sticks and a few slices of American - which I've figured out a half of slice goes well in the soup. But, these are somewhat needless calories & saturated fat. I'll make up for lost protein by eating egg whites every morning - MINUS the cheese.

I need to cut back. My goal is to get back in to my skinny jeans. This past semester has finally caught up with me, as most semesters do. So, now I need to back-peddle my way out of this situation. I've been working out twice a day and feeling great. Minus the need to grib something for stability when sitting or rising.
I'm going to go take a bonus Glucosomine & some ibuprophen...

And I think I'm going to bite the bullet and weigh myself in the morning. Yeeeeesh.

Mexican

I heart Mexican. Love, Love, LOVE it.
And, it's the easiest way that I've found to eat Vegetarian - especially if eating out.

I have eaten LOTS of Mexican these past few days. Every lunch & dinner for days and days. I still have just a little Chili's Veggie Fajita's left over in the fridge. And then, that's it. I'm cutting myself off. No more Mexican. For at least... a week. Seriously folks, I need some new stuff.

So, I think tomorrow I am going to attempt creativity with my Lentils. I'm ok with doing a soup since it's been a while since my last soup kick and I don't have enough gumption to try the meatloaf or burger recipes just yet; too involved. I did find some vegetarian Lentil Soup recipes online, but a lot of them called for one or two ingrediants that I don't have in the house right now. So, I think I'm just going to wing it. Not always the best idea, but hey, maybe it'll be a learning experience.

This is what I have in my head for it so far:
Lentils (duh)
Veggie Broth
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Barley?
Bay Leaf(s)

What else? I'm bad at knowing how to combine seasonings. Plus, I'm just not sure what the most complimentary seasonings are for Lentils. Come on, they're lentils!!!

My only dilemma with this plan is the fact that this evening I discovered quite the little stock of mushrooms and bell peppers in my Produce Drawer.
But seriously, No more veggie fajitas, tacos, quesadilla's, or bean/rice concoctions. I just can't do it anymore!!! (although, it's always a good excuse for cheese!!!!)

Definitely trying out the Lentils. Yee-ha.

Ugh.

Just because cheese pizza doesn't have meat on it doesn't mean I should eat it.
Grumble, grumble, grumble...

idols.

I've been thinking.
All of this self-improvement has me wondering, why am I doing this? This has been cooking under the surface for some time, but smacked me in the face Sunday during service. Instead of reciting the Apostle's Creed (which we sang earlier), we recited 1 Corinthians 13 before Communion. We've been spending considerable time looking at Christian Love and examining what this means - and this chapter is by no means unfamiliar to anyone who has spent a length of time in any church.

But it hit me, 13:8 - Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

Why do I do what I do? Why do I kill myself to earn a Master's degree? Listen to NPR? Read CNN? Educate myself on dangers associated with foods? Why do I work so hard to be a better person???? Because, if I'm doing this all for me - or even worse, for the world - it's worthless. It is of No Eternal Value. It will die when I die. Albeit I may die old with fantastic skin and lots of stories (or get hit on the head next week by a flaming toilet seat). But what does it matter?

The magic question is: Am I glorifying God with my life? How is my quest to be the best person that I can be Loving Others as Christ would love them?

How does one reconcile self-improvement with dying to oneself?

I Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Psalm 82:5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.


Luke 8:13-14 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

James 4:6 & 10 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

*A final thought to ponder: I can do nothing to save myself. I have broken God's design for me and rely solely on Him. Anything I try to do on my own for my own sake will be a vain effort ending in frustration, emptiness, or disappointment.

So, Jesus, I need You. Even when (no, especially when) I act or think like I've got myself all under control, I need you. Help me to bring you glory through my life.

I Don't Miss Meat

This doesn't mean I'll never miss meat. I just don't miss it right now. Woo!

I love eating food and not feeling bleh afterwards from that heaviness that sits in your stomach.

I love that Kashi meals & pizza were 50% off at Publix and I saved over $24 dollars on them today! And I love that they are easily labeled as Vegetarian!

I love beans. Oh wait, I've already told you that.

I love, love, love Veggie subs from Publix.

As of right now, I love being Vegetarian.

Current FAQ's

How do you get protein?
Easy. Beans - i LOVE beans. Whole grains. Soy. Cheese. Egg whites. Fish, occasionally.

Is it hard?
Actually, it's much easier than I anticipated. Maybe it's my hectic lifestyle that requires I prepare food in advance and eat meals without second thought some days. Also, a great deal of my life has been rather vegetarian. I appreciate vegetarian. It's yummy. And I'm learning that Veg is possible in most restaurants (NOT Sliver Ring...)

Are you doing this because your best friend is Veg?
Are you doing this because it's trendy?
-Yes my good friend got me to consider it; however, she has been vegetarian the entire time we've been friends. I've seen her navigate this lifestyle, realizing it can be practical if thought out. But, I don't make decisions simply because she makes the suggestion.
-I didn't realize Veg was trendy. So far, this has actually been a rather unpopular decision in my camp. I didn't realize how much of a stir this would cause.

This is a decision I've made for myself: For my health, and for what I can do for the environment.

please don't judge me

i just ate two donuts.

I never eat donuts. But, they were glazed donuts. I LOVE glazed donuts. Just ask my mom. She used to get us donuts at Huizenga's or the Zeeland Bakery occasionally; I always skipped over the sprinkles for that creamy sugary glazed-ness goodness.


And now I feel amazing. Seriously. Is it possible I was on a sugar low? I was for sure on a Caffeine crash. Dinner is looking to be stir-fried veggies. Oh well, it was well worth the price. Crap, maybe I better go for a jog as well.


What do you think the Protein content is on Donuts?

a new friend

Emily thinks I'm awesome.

And we're going to be friends. She just doesn't know it yet.

Notification:

Just because I look new to your spin class and my ass & hips are bigger than yours (unfortunately not my boobs), you do not need to compliment me on "killing it".

How the hell would YOU know anyways? You were sitting IN FRONT of me.

As a matter of fact, I could have gone much faster on the speed track.
Bite me.

so far, I LOVE

* Black Beans. Black Beans make everything better.
* Adobo is a fantastic seasoning. Cheap in the Mexican spice section.
* Kabobs are my favorite summer time food.
* I LOVE Tahini Hummus. Especially with pretzels although carrots are healthier.
* Shrimp Fajita's at Tapa Tio's. Preferably shared with a good friend & lots of guac.
* Breakfast Burrito's.
* Boca's Chick-in patties. Now I can enjoy a 'chicken' patty without being grossed out by the scrap meat particles pressed together to pretend to be a wholesome piece of something.
* Cheese. I will always love cheese.
* Soy milk. Used to weird me out a little. Now, I like.
* Dark Chocolate. Wait, this isn't new. Oh well.

Inspiration Needed

Lentils.

I have an entire bag of Lentils. They seemed like such a good idea while wandering through the ethnic ailse at Publix. Now they are staring at me from inside my kitchen cupboard. I'm a little over the soup thing at the moment, having subsisted off of Black Bean or White Bean soup for the past couple weeks. Don't get me wrong, I love the stuff - just need a change.

So, any ideas? Do you think I could attempt cooking them in my Rice Cooker? Generally when I attach the word 'attempt' to anything I want to do in the kitchen, the results are less than stunning.

Stir fry? Rice?? Adobo???

In Addition...

In addition to making the switch for my health, I am also well aware that this decision has a positive impact on the environment. I have made a conscious effort this past year to consume less animal products for this reason.

Check out how just a small occasional change in your diet can have global impact.

a Vegetarian is born.

I would say that the last six years or so have been a personal quest for health. I would have never guessed that this is how things would turn out. Never the less, I find myself in the land of Vegetarian. It has been a long journey, with many changes taking place here or there. The most recent and most significant is my choice to cut out meat from my diet - minus fish and egg (whites, mostly).

The culminating event took place this spring. My friend & I decided to do a Raw Food diet for One Week. Motivators for this included: Linzy thought it sounded fun, I needed to jump start my body back into healthy habits, we had heard about great benefits of this, and yes I hate to admit - I saw Dr. Oz do a story about it on Oprah. I lasted the longest - 5 full days.

This brought about many positive results: Day 3 I bought a Food Processor. A very pretty very powerful one. I was in love. Day 5 I purchased a Rice Cooker - this was my first cooked food. I was so happy. I dropped a few pounds. And, I reveled feeling healthy once again for the first time in months. This healthy food thing is no joke. I had resolved to live a much more natural lifestyle.

In conversation regarding this, my good (vegetarian) friend slipped this into an email: P.S. Are you sure you don't want to be a vegetarian? It's fun. :) And the thing I love the most about being a vegetarian is that it makes me very conscious and thoughtful about what I eat. I don't just put anything into my mouth. And that helps you learn to exercise discipline in other areas, too.

My immediate reaction? Very Very good point, BUT I can't live without meat! I was raised on Meat & Potatoes! Don't you realize that's how the Dutch eat? What about Thanksgiving? What about family dinners? It can't be done.

So, I thought about it and conceded that I could live a PERSONAL veg lifestyle - I never buy or cook meat for myself anyways (it's too expensive and too much of a hassle for one person). However, I was very wary of working this out in other arenas of my life, but decided to start experimenting with such just to see what happens.

So, I signed up for the PETA's Vegetarian Starter Kit (so much for a kit, all I got was a stinkin' magazine, although it did have some good health tips was overall anti-climatic) and began my phase of Vegetarian Experimentation.

I am currently approximately one month in. I have not (voluntarily- story involved here) eaten meat for a few weeks now; I've honestly lost track - which I consider a positive thing. I still maintain that this is a transition time for me and am not sure where this will take me. However, I also do not forsee revoking this decision any time soon.

Join me on my journey of learning what it's like to be Vegetarian.