Vegmom Moments

LIFES ABUNDANCE - FOR DOGS

The Pet Food that saved my Pets.....

A little background...  I have two Pups, one was rescued from a pound, the other was found in a ditch as a tiny Baby. 

My Pound Puppy has her own little issues, I don't know, like barking at a dust speck?   And the worst is her tummy sensitivities... She throws up if eating a milk bone, a noodle, a piece of rice off the floor, a banana bite, raw hide...  You name it she throws up... Now, eat a pound of grass and chew on some dirt, she's fine.... go figure.

But finding a bag of food that she could eat without revisiting on my carpet was a HUGE Challenge.  We were constantly on the hunt!

Insert Ditch Puppy...and this dog has some issues, from anxiety to allergies, to chewing his feet 1/2 off.  Seriously my 50 pound mutt cries big crocodile tears if you don't let him sit in your lap.  He has issues!

But this dog wasn't all smiles when we found him and the 2 years that followed.  He almost died many of times... His zest for life and cuddles inspired me to find something that would rid his skin ailments and systemic infections from mange and the state we found him in.  He developed an allergy to the antibiotics that were supposed to save him, and over time the Vets could do nothing more for him. 

We went to 4 different Vets all across town and of different caliber.  When they all said "there is nothing else we can do" and it was only a matter of days, I realized I had to take matters in to my own hands.  Different foods, different raw diets, vegetarian diets, homeopathic remedies, and finally we found a combination that worked.

A homeopathic remedy that my Mom found (only sold in Michigan) which I've never found online since.. This stuff saved my dogs life and my spirit...  Immune Booster and Probiotics was my first little dibble in to natural remedies.

Then I found this food thanks to an amazing animal saving co-worker...  She showed me the way to this food, and the rest is history...

My Pound Puppy now 13 can eat without Vomiting, and my Ditch Puppy is a thriving 9 year old dog with all his skin in tact and fur completely grown in...

The food has been amazing!!! 

Why am I typing about it now???  Because we almost ran out... I had a panic, I called and they had my shipment to me in 3 days...  Already at my house....  what an amazing company that does so much good... I know there is good for my Pups!!!

Thank you Healthypetnet for Lifes Abundance And my dogs thank you too!!

THEM BEANS THEM CRAZY BEANS

Why would I have a strainer full of black beans on my counter that look like this?

 

Because I was sprouting them of course.... Silly???

But why would I try to sprout beans??  Because I wanted to make this

Defried Beans from Green Appetite

I'm not sure I did it right, but what I do know is that I started with WAY too many beans... who knew those little buggers grow?

So I pulled out all the ones that sprouted:

 

And left the rest to keep working.....  Then I made this:

 

Mine doesn't look ANYTHING like hers, see:

 

But I didn't have any sundried tomatoes so I used regular tomatoes.  And maybe I didn't let the beans sprout enough... not sure....  Mine came out more like a Vegetable dip or chip dip... BUT, I really really really like it.  At first the texture was different like all the other new things I've tried.  It took some getting used to.  But it will make a great lunch or snack over the next few days... and I've brought some veggies for dipping....

UPDATE: Dip day two.... OH MY YUM!!!!!  Sooo much flavor absorbed from the spices and garlic... I will be eating lots of this... (especially with my extra beans... and my new Vita-mix on its way)

Answer to Question in Comments....Why to sprout the beans?  Maybe one of the Raw Foodies can explain better then I, but something to do with a sprouted bean containing more nutrients... And a better taste and texture when blended.

MY ALARM CLOCKS

Who needs alarm clocks when you have these....  A view around my bed at 7am...

Alarm #1 --- "Don't wake up Mom, I just want to cuddle...."

 

Alarm #2 ---The Fluff Ball... Sure, she looks innocent enough..."I will jump on and off this bed until you get up.... wake up wake up wake up"

 

Alarm #3 --- Because everyone wants little FEET on or around their Pillows... "Come on, Mom, its time to go to camp"..... (never mind that camp doesn't start for 2.5 more hours)

 

No snooze button on those toes!

MY FIRST TIRED MOMENT

I've been posting lots about my success with the partially Raw food and healthy eating journey..

So I think its important to post the struggles and keep it honest.

I stayed up too late last night for the first time in several weeks.

I walked 45 minutes VERY fast instead of the hour I had been. And didn't drink as much water today as I have been and drank way too much caffiene that I'm not used to having.

I was in a hurry to make a meeting this morning and only grabbed frut and veggies, so I didn't allow my self the goodness of beans, grains or nuts.

THE result was a VERY Hungry Vegmom by 1:30pm. A very kind worker friend ran out and got me a veggie wrap. I was still RFC compliant with my raw fruits and veggies I brought, But the wrap and caffiene gave me some afternoon energy.

Until I crashed! The result is now a VERY tired, dragging my Butt, hard to keep my eyes open Vegmom, with a full night ahead of me and the inability to want to function.

Note to self:

DO NOT to do any of that again!

I have learned what I need in such a short time and that I can turn back to the yuck very quickly. An important lesson for sure!!!

RANDOM'NESS DAY TWO

I guess I'm just in one of those random moods this week, but am happy to report there will be no Poo talk in this post!

My disappointment in camp yesterday was quickly averted by hearing from the leader of the school... I'm totally OK with it now, and thankful that we have such a great option for our Vegman.... 

I'm seeing Raw nuts and Green smoothies popping up all over my office this week, how exciting!!!

That time of the month came (which I'm sure you really needed to know) and I'm soooo pleased with how it went.  IF I have to have the visitor, the least it could do is enter kindly and exit without a fuss.  That is all I ask of any of my visitors.  Oh and that they don't smoke, drink, use bad words, wipe the seat when they are done.....

Well OK, I guess I ask a lot of my visitors.  Hmmmm, Maybe that is why I don't have many! 

OK, back to this one monthly visitor... As annoying as she is, I was sooo happy with how this one went...  Quick, Virtually Painless (REALLY) no skin break outs, no laziness, no headaches, no moodiness....  In general I feel great!  Even walked 4 miles each of the 2 1/2 days... yes I said 2 1/2 days!!! 

Eat Well - Feel Well.... I'm convinced!!!

The most exciting news of my day is that I ordered a Vita-Mix over the weekend... Yes, it cost more then any other appliance in my kitchen.. Yes, I could have used the money better elsewhere... But here is how I came up with the money for it:

• Changed our insurance policy which provided us unexpected funds

• Birthday Money

• No more buying Vegan Ice cream, which will save me $9 per grocery stop, multiplied by a year.

• Less purchasing of natural home remedies (or doctors visits) because we will be healthier from all the goodness that will come of it

• Better foods, and fresh, and easier to clean then my existing items, saves on water and electricity....

• Not cooking/baking has saved me $30 per Electric bill...

• Eating out less

The list goes on.. which more then pays for every bit of what the vitamix cost in the first couple months.  And then considering it will last me many years.  That is all just bonus savings which can go straight back in to my bank account.

After all, I have to save money to go see NeeNee this fall...  And debt free is the way to be!  *smile*

Speaking of Debt Free, have I mentioned lately that I really like this Cash Only thing... I forgot how nice it is  to not deal with receipts and check book and the security of no one seeing my card or my signature or my pin number....  The few times I don't have cash and have to use my card, I cringe now!

Ah, What a great year this has been... Making life long changes one snippet at a time...... You should try it?  Really, no pressure, but really, you should really try it!!!

No Pressure!!!

TODAY'S RANDOM'NESS

I talked to Nee Nee tonight and she splurged at the grocery store on lots of fresh fruit and even RAW almonds... GoNeeNee  Go NeeNee!!!!

Veg started Camp today, he enjoyed being around his friends, (as in, they all went ballistic upon arrivals)  but didn't end up like what I expected of the camp to be.  So I may be a tad disappointed.  Not that it matters what I think if he is happy... Then again, I am the one that pays for it.. But hmmmm?  Time will tell.

Chocolate for breakfast??  Sure, when its a Breakfast Cookie, of course!! 

Actually I had this for lunch.... But thats another story...  In case you were wondering what in the world is a breakfast cookie, I can say that it is NOT a plate of Poo as it may look like... 

It is actually a deliciously mostly Raw treat that you prepare the night before, (mixing, mashing, thats it) stick in your fridge and by morning you have this Delicious Oaty Nutty Breakfast...

Thanks again to Kitchen Kubicle for the suggestion that lead me to Mama's Weeds for the recipe....

Verdict:  Hubby and Veg weren't too fond of my Cookie Treat, so I took it to work and ate it for lunch... The first bite was a different texture... by the second bite I was hooked.  It was way filling for me, and I actually munched through out the afternoon....  I'll do this again for SURE!

Now this coffee on the other hand is made of Poo... You may want to stay away from that.

Why is it 10:15pm  two days PAST the 4th of July and people are still blowing up fireworks in my Subdivision.... Do they not realize the holiday is over???  And by the way...Kids are trying to sleep!  Shhhhhhh!!

Why do people say "More then you can shake a stick at?"  Do we ever really Shake a stick at something?  Just sayin!

How cool is it that an old friend found me via an online engine by finding my brother who sent me her info to say HI?  And I found out she has 5 kids... not 1, not 2, not 3, but 5 KIDS!    And through a whole bunch of changes in our lives since we last spoke many moons ago, she now lives not to far from where my MIL just moved....  Its a Small Small World!

Told you this was a Random post!!  Doesn't get more random then Coffee made with animal poop

Or maybe it does! 

How many times will a hard shell bug ram its head in to my window before he gets a headache or realizes that it is a WINDOW?  Do bugs get Headaches?

Why do people eat Hot Dogs???  Let alone 150 million of them on 4th Of July!!  Just Nasty!!  Hello People?  Have you heard of Nitrates?  And ummm.. "Variety Meat"  of course no amount of jumbled up, flesh, fat, organs and bone would be complete without an Intestine Casing...Excuse me, do you know what intestines are used for?.. Let me educate you.. They Filter our waste.... The stuff sits in the intestine until it is pushed out your Bum.....can you say POOP!  Yup, makes me want to eat a Hot Dog? NOT!!!!!!!!

On that note... I shall sign off for a bit.... I know this was sooo exciting but the random'ness must stop....

HANGING TOWEL HAND MADE

A Hanging Towel.... By far THE COOLEST THING VEG EVER MADE ME.....

Here is the story... 

This morning when putting laundry away, I found this old hanging towel that has seen better days..

 

I told Veg, that I wish I had more of them because we would probably use a lot less paper towel, if we had some more of these handy....

"Well Mom" he says, "I can make you some, I learned how to sew buttons at my Montessori school"

He proceeded to tell me that he could do 2 hole or 4 hole buttons and just needed some supplies.  Here was his list:

• Cloth (I gave him an old burp cloth)
• Button
• Scissors
• Needle
• Thread
• And something for the loop (old T-shirt Piece from our rag bag)

We rounded up the supplies, I left him alone and got this:

 

 

In case you need a closer look:

 

OK, so the BEST part of this whole thing, is that Veg is now the Paper Towel Police..... 

"Dad, you don't need paper towel in the Kitchen, if you just washed your hands, use the hanging one and save a tree"

Seriously, he said that.... and all night long...  "Don't forget to use the towel and save a tree"

I am soooo loving this towel...  And made out of totally Reused/Recycled goods!

He put Extra knots to make sure it would last through the Laundry Machine when needed... Hopefully it will last us a long long time!

DYE FREE TIE DYE

Ok, I know this belongs on my Crafty Blog But it was way too cool not to post here...

Veg has been asking for a new Tie Dye shirt since he's outgrown his other ones.  And I just didn't' want to do the whole Dye thing....

Today it dawned on me that if we could make Dye free Play Dough, Surely we could make Dye free Tie Dye shirts...

And so I grabbed a plain white shirt of his, add a couple rubber bands, and filled up three plastic cups.  one with Grape Juice, one with Cherry Juice and the other with Turmeric Powder mixed with water.

We dunked and doddled....  until we were happy with the colors...

 

And this was the final result:

 

An entirely cool, Dye Free Tie Dye shirt!!! 

My plan is to let it sit for 7 days.  Then try to wash with cold water only... My hope is the stains will set and keep at least SOME of the color....  Because I don't use Bleach washing detergent, I'm hopeful that the color will stay long enough for him to enjoy his new Tie Dye.

Anyone know how to purposely set a stain!  ha ha... I'll keep you posted...

Ps.  If this actually works we will be doing LOTS more of these... I'll even make one for myself... Going to try to mash up some Blueberries for mine.... and maybe mixing the blueberries with turmeric would give me green?

MORE ON THE GOJI BERRIES

I've had a few questions on the Goji Berries so here are the answers...... Yes, I've seen them in the Bulk bins at local Health Food stores and realized after purchasing my regular bag that I should have gone with the Bulk Bins instead.

Hubby is still on the Goji kick.. Munching through out the day.  Now calling them "GO GO BERRIES"  I however am not Hugely fond of the taste but it is growing on me.  I do like them mixed with things which was my intention when purchasing them. 

As for how they taste or what I could compare them to?  ...  At first they don't have much flavor.  And then there is an after taste that is sort of bitter and sort of sweet at the same time.  The texture is like any other dried fruit....  Nothing fancy....but they are packed with lots of good stuff.

I would definitely start with a few from the bulk bin before spending a lot of money in case you don't like them...

Today, my Vegman took a liking to the berries....Soon he had his own little container that he carried with him.... But in true Vegman fashion, he only ate until he was full and saved the rest for later (I wish I had that trait)

 

So we'll continue to eat and buy them, I'm sure of that... Whether or not they keep me "Young" and all the bad ailments away, that is still yet to be learned.

This is the first article I've seen about them that shows any side effects... Worth reading if you take other medicines.

MARBLE FUN

When Imagination takes over, the toy is just a tool to see where the imagination will go. (If we as parents let it happen) 

Veg pulled out his Marbles today as the toy of choice..  He and Daddy made this Robot and the picture doesn't show that it is like bigger then my Vegman.

 

Shark was coming to get the robot... LOOK OUT ROBOT!!!

 

And then this..I like to call the recycled Marble Track.  When this picture was taken, Veg had concocted this marble track all on his own.  And of course the picture doesn't do justice of showing the track being the entire length of our "non-dining" room and in to the family room...

 

What happened after this photo was taken is not pictured.  But he asked for help, and I decided to help.  Even though as Veg says I'm not good at this technical stuff.  I grabbed, pillows, a blanket, some buckets, a bar thing, some more race track parts, and some how made this track go to the left, then down the stairs and in to our bottom level of the house.

The marbles would then land in to a bucket, and we would all hoot and holler.... It was quite fun!!

I quickly removed my title of "not so good at technical stuff" and was told by the Vegman that I wasn't so bad afterall....

He then said I must post the pictures to my blog in case someone else needed ideas on building a marble track... And so there ya go!  Consider it posted!

*smile*

BANANA ICE CREAM TURNED SHAKE

This morning, Veg asked for some Banana Ice Cream So we cut up some bananas and put them in the Freezer...

Later, my two men wanted "Ice Cream" but the bananas decided not to freeze so good.  Instead we got Non-Milk Shakes... So I tossed in some Raw Chocolate and we ended up with Real Raw Treat!

 

Verdict:

Veg wanted more more more...... Hubby, not so impressed, he wanted his to be like ice cream and wasn't having this Shake Business!   We stopped at the store for two more banana bundles for tomorrow.

I however, am loving all this Raw food goodness... Even though I had devoured a Giant smoothie earlier in the day (mine also had spinach and hempseed), I was still able to down some Chocolate Non-Milk Shake!  And happily So!

NORI ROLL UP

For lunch today, I had all the ingredients for a Wrap and then I realized, I didn't have the wrap.  Not to mention a wrap isn't so Raw... I could make Sushi, but didn't want to spend hours on the rice... (and again, not so raw!

Then I remembered seeing on someone's blog where they used Nori for this purpose... SOOO Sorry, I searched and searched but I can't remember where I saw it to give credit.

Anyway, this is what I did...

Ingredients:

 

Spread on the Avocado, chop chop and put on the veggies, sprinkle with dressing (Apple cider vinegar and Olive Oil base with seasoning and garlic salt)... lay on fresh basil....

 

Then Roll it up:

 

Then Eat it!!  Mmm Good!

Verdict: 

I liked mine so much that I made a second.  Hubby said it needed rice or "REAL" tortilla but he ate it.  Veg loved his at first, and then I think the seaweed was too much.  He ate all the innards and asked for some cut up Avocado pieces to eat plane, but didn't eat the rest of the Nori.

He said if I made smaller bites he would take them in his lunch box.  I'll be doing these more often, I'm sure! 

HAPPY 4TH

While I do love this day and all it stands for, the fire works going off until 3am for the next 5 days is rather annoying...

So what better way to remember the 4th with out fireworks then to make a Red White and Blue Smoothie!

 

Of course when all ground up it sorta came out purple, but I tried!  *smile* 

Happy Fourth of July!!!

HUBBY AND THE GOJI BERRIES

So we got a bag of Goji Berries.  They are Ridiculously Expensive. but I wanted to have them for smoothies, natural raw snacks etc.  There was NO intention of eating them plain, BY THE HANDFUL....

Hubby's hands are BIG... his handfuls of Goji Berries are BIG... he LOVES the Goji Berries.... Today he was a Hyper spaz!  Seriously bouncing off the walls... I said "NO MORE GOJI BERRIES FOR YOU"...

Did he listen?   Nooooooo!!!   Another Handful down the hatch!!  

Needless to say, I will be back at the store tomorrow, but buying in the Bulk section this time and then rationing them in to Hubby Friendly servings.

FOOD CHANGES BODY CHANGES

----Warning this is a long one, and nothing anyone will be interested in, but I'm posting for the purpose of looking back in a few months or years and remembering where I was---- (and maybe if someone sees this while in a slumpy state like me, they can think about ways to change for themselves)

I would say for the past 10+ years I've been eating healthier then many... My Vegetarian diet got me healthy in the first place.  Losing weight at a time I needed to, changing my skin tone, my monthly visits, losing headaches and allergies, dropping my blood levels to safe amounts.... Providing a healthy pregnancy and delivery etc. 

Soon I got complacent... I leveled out...

While I ate lots of Greens, Beans, Nuts, etc.  I also ate a lot of Pasta, Rice, Vegan snacks and goodies.. and my horrible recent weakness would be the Choco Coffee Beverages from a well known coffee chain.

On top of that I developed unhealthy habits of not eating breakfast, sometimes skipping lunch, snacking more, eating a HUGE dinner because I was so hungry from my day, and then snacking through the night while I worked late...

I told myself, all that was OK because I was working late after all and I needed to keep myself awake... I told myself I could eat lots of snacks because they were Vegan and therefore Healthy, and I was exercising several days a week so it didn't matter how many calories I took in.

Never did I count calories because, Who Cared!!  My thought was (and still is) that if I put in my body all natural whole foods that it didn't matter how many went in....  Never did I count Fat grams because anything I ate with Fat was the "Good Fat" and our bodies do need fat.  I had these talks with myself....

I continued to eat cooked Veggies or processed Veggie Meals, and less and less fruits because I didn't have time to wash an apple?  It was easier to grab a bag of chips or a Cliff Bar when I was hungry.

Fast forward to this year...I started training for a 1/2 Marathon, I aged a bit, got less and less sleep, and my eating habits continued to spiral.......... and something happened.  My body Rebelled..Genetics kicked in...... My skin was breaking out worse then ever, all my body parts started changing, my monthly visits got worse, and I gained over 10 pounds while training....  Thought, "I should be losing weight, what is wrong with me?"  But as time went on, I continued to gain weight... 

Now I'm at the highest weight I've ever been!   Seriously, I weigh more now then I did at my highest point of pregnancy... I am exercising more and eating less, why do I keep gaining??.  While I don't look like this anymore:

 

My body has shifted in different ways, I began to look tired all the time, clammy break out skin with wrinkles forming (all over)  Droopy eyes that go with 1/2 my family genes. None of my clothes fit, and I just stared feeling all around Yucky!!

I told myself, I needed a change... I told myself, I had to do something or I'll be bigger then Hubby on my 40th Birthday.. I'll need an entire new wardrobe by Winter because nothing will fit.  And I don't want to be feeling this way!!  Why should I??  When I know soo much now about healthy foods, WHY would I let myself get here? 

So I started the No Junk Food Challenge with my friend....  When I'm held accountable by someone else, I knew I could pull though.  I knew it would be easy for me to follow through with my Bet.  Much like the 1/2 Marathon... it started as an agreement, and I knew I would finish... The No Junk Food Challenge was much of the same...  Started as an Agreement and I finished....

30 days with no junk (vegan or otherwise) forced me to choose Veggies and Fruit for snacks.... And when the challenge was over, I had no desire to eat a Vegan Cupcake or Vegan Peanut Butter cups any time soon.  I was Junk food free... While I still lost no weight, I did feel good about my food choices.  I felt alive again and not draggy.  I stopped snacking at night and going to bed earlier... All changes I didn't expect when embarking on the challenge.

Then the exercise Challenge, some persistent co-workers, a new exercise machine at home, and a Personal Training Session... I'm now exercising consistently 4-6 days a week and LOVING IT!! 

Because it is so much a part of my routine, there is no "Work" involved. Its not "Something I have to do" it is something I want to do!

I'm sleeping better, feeling better, my strength is increasing every day, and I've made the decision that I want this to continue.  I'm making time for me, exercising RIGHT instead of pushing the un-natural.. and its making an impact on my family too.  Veg has done three 5K's now, he likes to exercise with me, and my time with him is High Quality because I feel good.  Hubby is slowly slowly as in turtle slowly considering getting on board as well.

Now there is the Raw Food Challenge, started for the purpose of Raw foods.  Thanks to my recent obsession with Blog Land Recipes, hearing a radio show at the right time, and going to a book fair just when I needed a new book, then seeing how much Good foods are out there, I quickly realized this is the change I've been looking for.  Its what I've been needing...  TO EAT!! 

Not to mention when the signs and tools are in front of you to make a change for the better, choosing not to shouldn't be an option. 

So Eat Well... and Feel Well....is my new motto!  I need breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and snacks.  My Body needs fresh Fruits and Veggies EVERY DAY! 

I need some uncooked meals to mix in with my cooked ones.  My body doesn't have to eat at midnight to stay awake.. It should be SLEEPING!  I do need High energy snacks during hard work out days and that is OK.  I'm thirsty and when I'm thirsty I should drink something.  Don't put it off until a conference call is over or one more issue is resolved....Keep water with me all day, and guess what, I'll drink all day!!  

And yet again my family is changing as well.  Veg ate his first Date this week and LOVED it.  Hubby, ate Hemp Seed, Dates and Goji Berries (He is LOVING the Goji berries)...  We are all eating fruit every day, and all having breakfasts now to start our days. 

If what I do positively affects them, imagine how what I do negatively affects them?  I'd much rather stay on the Positive side of that fence...

Its only been 2 weeks since I started down this path and only one Full week of the challenge.  This morning Hubby noticed that my Back had lost all its marks, and my face was "glowing" he said... Really, mentioned that my complexion was a much better color and I had a glow.  I've noticed things tightening up a little bit, even lost about 2 pounds.  My hair is Fluffier (not that I needed it fluffier)  and I just feel good.  Tired when I'm supposed to be (like now) and sleeping well almost every night (soon, I will be)...

My appetite has shifted so much since that first challenge a couple months ago..  And now even more so... Today we spent 3-4 hrs outside mulching our front and back yard flower beds. (5 scoops of mulch) along with filling up a $9 pool for Veg to play...  I had energy to do every bit... and when I was hungry, I didn't want chocolate or sweets, I just wanted a cold refreshing Apple. 

While I always split a cookie with my vegman at our fav. veggie place, now I only have a bite.  Sweets of the Junk food variety do not even Tempt me anymore.  A tiny bag of Vegan animal cookies at work lasted me all week.  And when I didn't finish them, they went in the garbage (wasteful yes.... but I also won't open a bag now for that reason, and save them for my comrades).

Even the Vegan blueberry cobbler that Hubby made last weekend.  I had a small bite each day.  The sweetness was overbearing....

Trying new foods has been soooooo much fun!  I feel like I did when I first became Vegetarian.  This is like a whole new eating world, just when I thought I had it all figured out... I was missing sooo much good stuff. 

Hubby said today "There is just something different about you?"  I'm smiling more, being silly more, I FEEL GOOD!!  I'm rested...... YES work is still stressful, YES I still have a full plate and not always getting it all done, YES, my house is a tad messy, and I'm not doing everything I could be doing.

But I FEEL GOOD, and there is always tomorrow to get the rest done.  If there is NOT a tomorrow, then at least I had a good day today!

Amazed if you actually read this far.....  Stay tuned for your regularly scheduled Vegmom programming (it won't be so serious, I promise)

ENOUGH ABOUT THE SUNGLASSES

Hubby was picking on Veg for playing with his new sunglasses "Your going to break them"...  "stop playing with them and just wear them".....  "I had to get a new pair because mine broke by accident we don't want yours breaking too"......   It continued.... That is, until, my Vegman looked at his Dad and said.....

"Dad, nothing is forever, except God and Jesus"

Vegman-1 Hubby-0 

No more was said about the Sunglasses!

PERFECT WAKE UP

Eskimo kisses a game of Connect Four and fresh cut Watermelon in bed..

What more could a girl ask for??

FOOD CHALLENGE KICKED UP A NOTCH

Just found out that my Veg's camp is going to be Peanut Free.....So we Definitely Can't resort to Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches for the next 4 weeks....While I tried to avoid it, that food rut sometimes brought the sandwich back during the school year.  Or we would use snacks that contain peanuts since tree nuts cause tummy issues.

This means that between common sense of what we put in our bodies, migraine triggers and school policy,  I have to get REALLY Creative!!   I will need to pack a total of 20 lunches with NONE of the following items:

Meat, Dairy, Peanuts, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Artificial colors, Sweetners and preservatives, bleached foods, aluminum, and pesticides... Also can't be heated or refrigerated...  but our Lunchbox stays cold with the icepack really well.

And so what does that leave me?  Vegetarian Whole Food Goodness!!  Do I dare say RAW Goodness?

Oooh, could it be??? 

Raw Mommies... What do you pack for lunches that are nut free?   Help???

SWEET MORNING

Its been a rough week work wise and early this morning was no exception...

But then my Vegman woke up, came out to see me and said...

"Mom, I love you so much, can we have an adventure day that lasts a whole week"

Ah, If Only!! *smile*

A RAW SNACK

The Best Snack in all the planet... I did it... I made something else Raw... and it only took 15 minutes...(would be less time if my Food Processor didn't laugh at me)

See Here:

 

Green And Crunchy calls them Earth Balls...  I call them "The Best Snack in all the Planet".....

Granted I was skeptical, the look and texture thing... also the sweetness of the Dates.... But when mixed with everything else, they are just perfect!   Thank you Green And Crunchy !!!!

Have I mentioned today that I'm LOVING this Raw thing!!  Take the Challenge.... You may surprise yourself!

 

UNCOOKED GREEN BEANS

I realized after leaving the famers market with my Green Beans on Saturday that I've never had un-cooked green beans.... While searching the web, I was unable to find a dressing recipe that fit my needs...

So I decided to make my own... Apple Cider Vinegar, Olive Oil, Garlic Salt, Basil, Pepper and Oregano...

Mix well and poor on top of washed/chopped Green beans... I stuck in the fridge over night and TaDa....

 

The best Green Beans I've ever had!  Seriously!!  Maybe my taste buds are shifting again, but these were soooo good!

ICE CREAM FOR BREAKFAST??

When its Raw Bananas, Why Not? 

 

I found this posted by Choosing Raw and couldn't resist giving it a try as soon as I could make it to the store.

Last night, I purchased bananas, chopped them in pieces and put them in a bag in the freezer... This morning, I put them in my food processor and Voila!  Raw Banana Ice Cream.  Now, I have the hang of it, the boys like it, and there is still some more in the freezer. 

Next batch will contain more goodies!!!  BUT ---  My Food processor did NOT like this job... It coughed, it sputtered, it yelled at me loudly....  I'm thinking I can justify the cost of a Vitamix now, knowing that  I will never have to purchase ice cream/soy or otherwise again....

Yum!!!  Sooo Loving this Raw Stuff...Where has it been all my life??

MIRROR CHECK CONTINUED

I posted last week about losing one of my chins while eating different foods...  What I neglected to say is that when I told Hubby he looked at me then said...

"You did loose one of your chins didn't you.... That is always the first to go and Butt is the last, so you have a LONG way to go"

Gee, Thanks Hubs!   

BLACK VELVET PANCAKES (MY VERSION)

Take a peak at Kubicle Kitchen's Black Velvet Pancake Post...  I told her I would copy, and I did....

Mine don't look as Black as hers, but I think I used less Blackberries in combo with my huge Batch.

(to those that will heckle me, I will say it first... I know these are NOT Raw... *smirk*)

My intention to make enough to keep for the week or possibly freeze some...But didn't think about that when picking the Blackberries yesterday.   I used this Vegan Concoction for the batter.... And mixed in the Mashed Blackberries... 

We had a "plain" batch, one with blueberries added, and one with walnuts and dark choco chips....

There were a Lot of Pancakes.  Each a hit with the family.... The only problem they had, was which to eat first.

Thanks Kubicle Kitchen for the great suggestion!!

RAW FOOD CHALLENGE ROLLS ON

OK - I have to admit, the challenge is trickier then I thought... If the fridge begins to empty, or we are out to eat and I order all Veggies then realize they are cooked and request a salad, just to get my raw-ness in....

But thanks to Smoothie Land, My breakfasts have been a Cinch!

Here are today's ingredients:

 

(all organic of course)...  Strawberries, Kale, Zucchini, Blueberries (of course), Sweet Potato Chunks, Flax, Apple chunks, a few cherries... ice and water (added after picture was taken)...

Verdict:  I thought it was quite good... Not as Green as I would have liked but I was out of spinach.  Hubby thought it was too tart because I was out of bananas and Mr. Veg only took one sip.  But then he was loaded up on Pancakes and Blueberries.

So I'd give this combo a try again, if I had bananas to break up the tart.  But otherwise thought it was quite tasty.... and drank mine ALL UP!

FYI - I'm not using recipes if you couldn't tell  :-)  Just adding what ever I have on that day.

For lunch my Rawness was Salad Based along with some Hummus.....YUM!!!

So Why am I trying to incorporate more raw foods in to my diet, well the same reason most people should, Its Good for your Bod....I'm taking the suggestions of some of the commenter's and starting with mostly fruits and veggies.  As I learn more about Un-Cooking foods, I'll have a lot more to choose from, I'm sure! 

See here for some good reasons to enjoy Raw Foods

And here for some Food Pictures, so good that you'll want to eat your screen... But don't... Computer screens are not Raw or edible..

And by the way... my other mission is trying two new Raw things per week, until I have a good stash of likes built up...... This week (after getting to the store) they will be This and This..... Easy and Good... Both are important.

Now on with the RFC (AKA - Raw Food Challenge)

SKATING IN SUMMER??

I took today off work, just because I could, and wanted to spend some more Summer fun with my Vegman before it was too late.  (Not to mention giving Dad on Duty a break)

It was 90ish again.... We could have played in the Sprinkler, Putt Putt, Tennis, a million things we could have done on this steamy beautiful sunny afternoon.... But what does the Vegman want to do?????

 

Yup, those are ICE SKATES!!  In the middle of Summer???  Another Fun day can be checked off the list!!  Sometimes you just gotta say "What the Fun?"  And let them decide what it will be...

P.S.  little kid skates are just sooo darn cute!!

BLUEBERRIES, KAYAKS, FUN, OH MY!

Veg and I decided to have an Adventure Day... Just him and me.... And adventuring it was!!

Wake up, eat a yummy fruity breakfast, then off we went to Putt Putt....  In my mind, it was Sunday, Early morning, it was Hot and they were calling for rain... SURELY there wouldn't be that many people.... Um!  Yeah... WRONG!!!

We arrived at our destination pretty quickly but so did the other 2000 people that apparently had the same idea... Eventually we finished our round of Putt Putt, played one arcade game and headed out of town before we were stuck for all eternity in bumper to bumper traffic... But first stopped off at Veg's fav. place to eat... Oops.. Its not there anymore!  Eeek......

----------Hurry, Mom Thinking Cap Needed, Avoid Child melt down..... Hurry--------------

Decided to stop at a Gigantic Store...Veg was happy!!!   Outside the store there was a restaurant,......we sat down and it was the same menu as  Veg's other fav. place.  The same people own it... How funny is that????  Veg was now really happy....

And below the restaurant was a "Life is Good" Store... I was going to use my gift certificate... SOOO excited.  Until I realized I forgot it... Oops!!!  I had no idea we would find that store though, so it wasn't like I knew to BRING the card.

Then to the BIG Store!!!  We wandered, and wandered, and turns out they were having a "camp" thing.... So we sat down at the pretend Camp Ground and Veg learned some hiking lessons and got a Badge and everything...

After a while we left but went out a different door then where we entered... Where we found this:

 

My Old Boss would be VERY Proud.... Veg was a natural at maneuvering this Kayak...in fact he only got stuck one time, when a bigger kid crashed in to him and knocked him to the corner.. Poor Veg... But man did he have fun....He wasn't even nervous and had no worries...   As soon as he figured out where to put his hands on the paddle, he was Golden.

Then the Kayak guy took off..... seriously just left.....  So Veg was like zooming around this gigantic pool for a very long long time... until eventually the guy came back (as he saw the line building up)  jumped in the pool and brought them all back to the front.... By the way, the pool was 3X longer then my house....

Quite the adventure...  A quick stop at Starbucks.....  and then back to the car to drive the rest of the way home...

But the Adventure wasn't over....

I decided to take a different road near our house... I knew there was a school, and just maybe we would find a play ground.....

Boy did we..... It was a nice one too, mostly for older kids.  Veg had a Quick amount of tons of fun until the storm clouds finally blew in...

We came home for a game of Battle Ship and then "relaxing".....  At which time I called our local blueberry patch and they were open for the season... WOOO HOOOO!!!!    We decided to let Hubby come with us...

We picked a LOT of blueberries...  5 Pounds worth actually... and guess the price?  Guess, I dare ya???  Locally Grown hand picked 5 Pounds of berries???  $10

 

It was the Best Batch EVER....  Many were nickel size... REALLY... See?

We had soo much fun.  Veg was my guide... (thats for another story) but he tracked the berries and I picked them... He grabbed some yummy ones also, and Hubby went to town with filling his entire bucket.... he wanted to make his Vegan Cobbler when we got home (and he did)  but first he would need berries.  The man PICKED some berries!

They won't last very long though.....

 

Some little hands were in them.... in fact these little hands were in the berries so much, that I wouldn't be surprised if the stuff that comes out his bottom tomorrow is purple.  Look closely, his fingers were already purple....

I was able to freeze two trays full, hubby got his cobbler, we all ate some, and a sealed container is left in the fridge for tomorrow..

Oh, I also picked a few Blackberries, to make Kubicle Kitchen's Black Velvet Pancakes....  Those will grace our plates tomorrow morning... YUM!!!  And the nice lady at the farm didn't even charge me for them because I didn't grab a full pint.....

Did I mention I love local farms???  We'll be back to this one....  A LOT before the season is done!!  I want to freeze as many berries as I can for smoothies and other yummy goodness for when the season is over.

If you haven't already???  Try some fruit picking... outside of a few bug bites, some creepy spiders, and Hubby getting a tick (he's gotten more ticks then my dogs, by the way)....  There was fun had by all....

Now its time for eating!!  Delicious!  (as NeeNee would say)

TABLE OR CAR GAME

During our summer nightly "family game time"  we started playing an Old travel Version of "Outburst"..
There is a card, and a timer thing, and you have so many seconds to guess 10 things on the card.... We play until someone reaches 100 points....  Everyone enjoyed it, and even veg could hit several answers.

Fast Forward to today... We are sitting in the car Post - Farmers Market  but-Pre Lunch waiting for the Restaurant to open... I have no games in the car, and nothing to keep him busy....Veg is starting to get tired and restless... with a 10 minute wait....

-----------Mom Thinking Cap ON--------------Activate Thinking Cap-------------------

I grabbed his travel size doodle board and wrote 4 words on it about things you'd find on a road... And told him the subject.  I said you have 1 minute to think of all 4 things that I wrote on my list.  Veg immediately caught on.... started shouting everything from Street Lights to Asphalt.  It was perfect.....

Hubby rolled his eyes in normal Hubby fashion... So I continued to play with Veg...  Name 4 Red Fruits..... Name 4 Green Vegetables.....  6 things related to Christmas..... You get the idea....  He was shouting answers left and right until Hubby couldn't take it anymore, grabbed the doodle board and hit me with 5 things you'd find at a carnival.... Grr... I haven't been to a carnival since I was 16 I think....

While we were playing round after round, my Vegman pulls out his little travel paper and a pencil to keep score.  He assigns himself to be the "Score Keeper and Bonus Decider"....

Some how he ALWAYS got 100 bonus points?  We played well in to the eating of our lunch, and back to the car.... I think his and Hubby's total score was like 10,500 when adding up all the bonus points and mine was like 20.  Some how I got Jipped!

But it sure was fun... and what a great game to play when driving far, or waiting in line... You don't even need supplies, we happened to have some handy.  But really you could just remember the words and not write them down.  Or you could use a napkin or paper placemat.  The possibilities are endless.

And for real little ones, you could make it simple like "Name 3 things that you would find in your bedroom"  Or "2 things in this car that are grey"  For the masters, you could increase to 10 things or even bigger.

I have to admit it was hard to come up with my answers for them to guess.  I'm not good a split second.  Which is why mine were so easy and Hubbies were so hard....  Like he gave me "Name 5 different kinds of metals"

And you have to GUESS what they have written down.  So even if I know 5 metals, it isn't necessarily what he wrote down.  That is where the challenge lies....

So the next time you find your self stuck for something to do in a real Quick Like Fashion, use this game or make up your own version... You never know what kind of fun you will find.

FARMERS MARKET LOVE

While I've enjoyed a few farmers markets in the past, I had yet to find one I really LOVED and trusted the source.... Until today...

We finally made it before they ran out and before they packed up for the day... and I finally got to see all their wonderful treasures....  Tent after tent of the most fresh, yummy looking Veggies, as if I'd planted them in my own garden... All locally grown, reasonably priced, and most said organic or at least pesticide free. 

The people were helpful, the signs were helpful, and I will surely go back... Between now and Thanksgiving... I can't wait to see all the wonderful things the farmers bring in the fall. 

Here is my bounty!!

The biggest Zucchini ever:

 

Beans:

Potatoes and Cucumbers:

Oh and the Organic potato guy, he hands them to his wife and says "Weigh these"  she holds them in her hand and says "about a pound"  he looks at me and says  "$2.00".....  I LOVE FARMERS MARKETS.. By the way, 3 Cucumbers = $1.... REALLY!  and not a Dent on them!!

AND I FINALLY DID IT!!!   Got some Herb plants.....  Not sure what I will do with them, but I have to think quickly!  *smile*.....

Currently I'm already drinking some Earl Grey ICED Tea with Mint Leaves from my first ever herb plant....

How Refreshing!!!

And Basil...  don't these leaves look soooooo good!!  He helped me pick the best ones, and did I mention?
ORGANIC!  I can't wait to cook with these babies!!

Now I'm just hoping I can keep them alive!!

On a side note, my Smoothie this morning consisted of the following Raw goodness.... AND to my little blog heckler (and you know who you are) I DID NOT ADD SOY MILK... ha ha

Smoothie:
Pineapple, banana, strawberries, spinach, sweet potato chunks, flax, Filtered Ice and water,

And my Lunch, again had tofu (not raw) as we ate out... but did have raw sprouts, tomato and onion..  Instead of chips I requested fruit, and they gave me Watermelon, grapes and orange.

Upon coming home I weeded a VERY BIG flower bed, as well as trimmed shrubs, and weeded the garden.  I was outside for at least 2.5 hours in the baking son, (not including our earlier walk or farmers market excursion)  when I came in All I wanted was an APPLE... I couldn't get to my apple fast enough... Seriously, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME?????  GIVE ME FRUIT!!!!

Oh what will I do when winter comes....  Sure hope I give my self time to freeze some of this fresh seasonal goodness... not sure it will count as raw come winter, but I'm going to eat it anyway.

During "apple" time, I realized I wanted some Iced Tea... Not just water like usual, just Cold Refreshing Fresh Ice Tea... And then I remembered the Mint I just purchased.... The rest is history!! 

I will be making a LOT more of this tea... Probably not so raw, but sooo good and cold and fresh, and real raw herbs... Yum!!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend where ever you are.

WHICH SHIRT WILL IT BE?

My first ever poll,  but sorry no Poll widget thing-a-majig so you'll have to leave a comment....

Here is the deal?  I have a gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket from winning a challenge with a friend.....

The certificate is for Life Is Good ... in case you haven't been to one of their stores or seen their website or have any idea what I'm talking about.... Let's just say the decisions are TOUGH!!!

Way too much goodness to choose from....  And so I'm leaving it up to you, my faithful 3 viewers... ha ha

Which one of the following 4 shirts should I make my own????

First we have the Guys Shirt... I love love love the Unplug...  After doing so on my last vacation.

I'm not too fond of Purple, but this saying is too good to pass up.

 

Enough Said on this world one....

 

This one is funny because I don't EVER walk on the wild side... In fact I'm furthest from wild side and closest to Non-Wild side as it gets... But just love the shirt!!!

 

So which is it???? 

RAW FOOD CHALLENGE ANOTHER DAY

As with all the challenges I've been super excited when what I do rolls down hill to the Little Vegman.

Because I've been packing breakfasts and lunches for myself, I'm able to add more food to his breakfast and munch plate.

Yesterday before I left his plate consisted of some peanut butter pretzles, carrots, celery, apple slices, pineapple, peach slices, cherries and strawberries....  I figured he would eat cereal with his Dad and munch on these during the day.... But to my surprise he got super excited about his "Fruit Plate" and went to town immediatly.

Nothing was even left before his Dad got out of bed... 

Today my Rawness consisted of, Strawberries, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, and apple chunks....  My lunch was not so raw, and contained tofu/bread. ...  But it did have Sprouts, Tomato, Onion and Hummus (all raw)... in addition to my fruit snacks.

As of 1:43pm, I haven't been able to finish everything I've brought, but will munch again later...  I've been surprised about my Appetite shifts....in a good way....

I'm also surprised that after only a week of trying breakfast, I woke up this morning hungry....

And I'm also surprised that by 3pm I'm craving carrots, apple chunks or almond butter, instead of Chocolate, and Crackers, and Coffee.....

Although I'm not a person that generally likes surprises.... I've been happy about these!

 

MIRROR CHECK

SO all this healthy eating and exercising..... I decided to look in the mirror today... Realized that my Bottom half hasn't shrunk at all but I have lost one of  the chins off my face.....

Quite convenient, because I really needed to loose one of my chins... NOT!!!  How will chins help me to fit in my jeans, that is what I want to know?

Wouldn't it be fun if we could say "I'd like those 2 pounds to drop in this spot and the next 2 pounds to drop over here...."  Currently if I say that, my body says:

"HAHAHAHAHAHA, you wish"

RAW FOODS AND NOT SO MUCH

HAPPY RAW FOOD CHALLENGE DAY

Remember this isn't about changing everything, its just about incorporating more raw foods in to our diets... For me this also means eating Breakfast... 

Funny, how I always make sure my Vegman has breakfast and even his Dad sometimes (when he doesn't make his own) but I've probably made myself Breakfast only a dozen times since the little luv bug was born....  When we have visitors I make sure to make them breakfast, rarely having enough for me to eat....

While its great that us Moms take care of those around us, sometimes its important to take care of ourselves too... So this is my small way to do that...  What could you do more of, to take care of yourself???

(and my friend NB, if you want to go for a shirt bet, bring it on)  ha ha!!!

While I've been dibbling and dabbling for a week now, this is my first official challenge Day Breakfast and Snack Tray for the day... (All Organic except the pineapple)

Apples, Fresh Cut Pineapples, Plum, Peach, Cherries, Carrots and Celery...  I figure this will last me a while....

 

Since I ran out of time to make a smoothie, I stopped at a local shop to get some for those I work with and decided to get myself one also... Granted it wasn't raw, but I requested Spirulina to make sure it was GREEN...

And Lunch will be leftovers from last night... This one is Interesting... Again not raw, but I did something different this time... I decided if I could grind up veggies in a smoothie, I could do the same for a "creamy" pasta sauce....And so I made my usual tofu blended "creamy" sauce and warmed it just slightly....

(Block of tofu, lemon juice, parsley, basil, italian seasonings, garlic salt, and other seasonings or more lemon juice to taste)

Then I grounded up fresh raw veggies, like Kale, Spinach, onion, peppers, threw in some garlic cloves... chop chop and mash in the food processor, then mix in to the slightly warm tofu gunk...but didn't cook it.

Add some chopped organic grape tomatoes and some hemp seed and more seasoning, and mix in with Artichoke Flour noodles....

Voila....  Lots of Raw goodness, Meeting the Not so Raw Tofu and Noodles....  But Hey, I'm trying!!  :-)  And its Vegan!  Yum!!!

FRUIT AND VEGGIE MORNING

This smoothie is actually from yesterday that I never finished, so I added some soymilk, made it frothy again, and today's breakfast is served... It has some new things this time (marked in purple)... Trying new things that I wouldn't normally eat...

Spinach, Carrots, Strawberries, Kale, Hemp Seed, Sweet Potato chunks, Kiwi, Banana, Ice and Soymilk... Shewww... no wonder I couldn't finish it yesterday:

 

And this is nothing new, but I was excited to discover that Veg's small square container fits perfectly in my Glass Bowls.... Even with the lid.. So I was able to put Veggies and Fruit in one bowl without them touching... (Something about kiwi juice on my carrots doesn't sound appealing... unless in a smoothie of course)

Yummy and Delicious and Nutritious Snacks, All organic of course :-) !!

 

Yesterday for Lunch (no picture, sorry)  I tried cutting a zuchinni in to "noodles" using a carrot peeler and a knife...  After I got them just perfect, I realized we had no Pasta Sauce left... and so I used Pizza Sauce....  It worked out just fine!   And I didn't need a fancy contraption just like everyone said. 

Very Cool.... Veggie Noodles.... Look out!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

TO US!!

It was on this day 18 years ago that Hubby and I said "I DO":

More words were said though... things like.....

• Don't worry Mom, were just going on Vacation (to a small town with nothing but a Hotel, a Piggly Wiggly, a judge, and a Navy Base)
• The Military leave request said "Respectfully Request to get Hitched"
• The Family said "You did what????"
• My Bestest Friend said "Your going to do what you want anyway, I mise well not say anything"  (she knew me so well)
• My Brother said "Your Dumb"  (but then he always said that)
• My Sweet Mom said "As long as your happy"
• Our other Relatives said "She must be Pregnant"  (NOPE... that would happen 12 years later)
• My sweet Man said "Any Regrets"
• I said "NO Regrets"
• The Judge said "I now pronounce you Husband and Wife"

And here we are....  Many homes, a couple states, a couple pets, many jobs, one child, lots of laughter, several tears, many headaches later... 18 years later....

Ah, isn't Love grand!

30 DAY RAW FOOD CHALLENGE

First there was the 30 Day No Junk Food Challenge... Really we went 30 days with no sugary snacks... Vegan or otherwise... NO CHOCOLATE for 30 days... 

This is what started my Kick in the pants of "What else can I do to improve the health of myself and my family?"

Then there was the 30 Day Exercise Challenge.... No need to explain that one....

And now, finally, I have figured out what my Next Challenge will be.... Something that will encourage me to make time for myself and continue eating Breakfast (as it is supposed to be good for me) and continue introducing healthy foods in to my Family..... 

NO "NB" I'm not going to ask you to only eat Raw foods for 30 days.. Don't Panic!  ha ha

This one is easy.. and maybe others will join...  Maybe not?  But with each challenge, it becomes a commitment to improving my health.. Hopefully others will join... But I won't challenge my friend to a shirt this time... hee hee

Here it goes... Are you ready....  Hold on to your hats.....  NeeNee, Even you and Grandpa C can do this one...

The challenge is this.....I am going to eat at least 2 Raw foods EVERY DAY between Breakfast and Lunch....  Can be a Vegetable, (Cucumber, carrot, Spinach, Kale or any type).....  Can be a fruit (Strawberries, Banana, Orange, Peach, what ever strikes my fancy).... ...

The only requirement is the two foods or more that I choose are not cooked... So I get the full gist of the powerful nutrients waiting for me in the healthy goodness of Raw Foods...

I told you it was easy!!!   Anyone else up to the Challenge??? 

As with the others, just post an alias in the comments (no need to use your real name... don't even need an email address, not sure why it requests it... )  Link to your blog if you choose in the comments, or use my cheesy button on your blog to request others take the challenge....

And lets get healthier, one Veggie or Fruit at a time......

(unless health reasons don't allow you to eat raw veggies or fruit... if that is the case, don't get healthier this way)

I know I always start on a Monday, but this one is too easy to wait....  I must allow time for Grocery Shopping, if by chance someone does want to join me... and so I will start the challenge officially on Thursday 6/25/09..... And then post progress, findings, and happy thoughts between now and completion...

Happy Eating Everyone!!!

P.S.  To all those that know Raw food is much more then just Fruits and Veggies, just wanted to say, I realize that also... but gotta start some where...  especially for Grandpa C, who currently thinks a good fruit is grape flavored koolaid and a vegetable is only edible if ground up in a sauce and he doesn't know it is there.... (sorry Grandpa C... its too easy not to pick on you... besides you know we love ya)

WORTH STAYING AWAKE

My Vegman has every excuse in the world to stay awake when it is bed time...

But there are a few things that I agree are worth every bit of extra awake time:

• Watching the Fireflies after dark
• Seeing a Planet or Moon or Clear Starry Night
• Eskimo or Butterfly Kisses
• One more Hug
• That last thing he just HAS to tell me about his day that he COULDN'T tell me during the day (not sure where he gets that from)

OK Yes, I'm a sucker when it comes to bed time.... you get the idea... But really, WHO can pass up watching a Firefly Flurry and receiving an extra Butterfly Kiss???

PLUGS FIXED

My Friend "AU" this is for you...

Hubby worked on the plugs today...

I got the call:

"After causing all the power to go out in the bottom portion of the house, I decided to switch off at the circuit breaker before doing any more"

Hmmmmm! Ya Think?

While I always say my Hubby can do ANYTHING he puts his mind to, I'm sure glad he decided NOT to be an Electrician!

VEGGIE LABELS

There are many labels for people who eat a plant based diet, Vegetarian, Vegan, Lacto, Ovo, Raw....

As for me... My Oldest Friend calls me FRUIT LOOP... and that is probably the best label I've heard to date, because I don't fit in to another category.

While I eat NO meats at all and haven't for many years..... the line gets Iffy for me on Eggs and Dairy.. I've also been known to use Honey.. So I'm not Vegan...

However... the only dairy products I will fold to in rare instances are Cheese, Butter and Chocolate.  For the most part I use non-dairy chocolate and in most cases I will avoid cheese, at home I don't use real butter...  But in the event there is dairy in the bread or butter used in the veggies I eat at a Restaraunt or in a dish at a friends house, or some other unknown, there are times I don't question and I eat it.... 

And then I get a horible sinus headache, kick myself (really, I kick myself), and swear off the stuff for eternity... Until the next time!!  Good news being, the times are further apart....Even I can learn a lesson eventually.

As for Eggs... There was a time when I first went Vegetarian that I thought I needed the protein in Eggs... Of course I learned otherwise... and after pregnancy became allergic to them anyway... so I avoid Eggs in all possible ways... But in the event I'm eating somewhere that has eggs in the food and I don't know about it....   I will get a horrible Gut and Headache that renders me in bed for at least a day, sometimes longer....  And so I avoid eggs in all Known ways... Saving my Stomach and the Chickens. 

EXCEPT, Cakes, Cupcakes and Cookies that contain eggs don't bother me?  WHY?  I have no clue!!  See... I told you I don't fit in to a Label....

So in the rare event I eat a Non-Vegan Dessert (And it is rare)....  I envision the poor cows and chickens on the assembly line living that horrible life to get me that dessert.... In addition the Refined sugar, flour... and all the other bad things that may make up that dessert, and I avoid it.... For a really long time...  But can't say I NEVER eat them...

And now insert the Raw Food.... Realizing I already ate a lot of raw foods, I didn't function on them completely for Breakfast or Lunch... in fact I never ate breakfast... 

Our house is High fructose Free, Preservative and dye free... Meat, Milk, Egg & Butter free......  We use Non-Refined Sugar, Unbleached Flour, Non-Aluminum Baking Soda and Organic where possible.... The list goes on.....So why would I be looking for more healthy option...

Because I'm A FRUIT LOOP!!!  *smile*  A Very Fitting Label.

RAW FOOD JOURNEY - DAY 1

While I'm not going to eat raw food all the time, and this was just a way to introduce some new foods and new eating habits to our family...  I have been amazed at the help I've received from Raw Food Bloggers all over the world.... 

People I didn't even know answering my questions both on here and via email..... So even without the fancy contraptions, I will be taking a new food journey... shifting from total Vegetarian (partially Vegan), to a Vegetarian (partially Vegan) that eats a lot of Raw Food.

Today was the beginning of that "official" journey, as I like to start on Mondays when I do new things... Not sure why?  I'm just strange like that....

And it started with a Green Smoothie.. This time my Magic Bullet did the trick...  But Hubby mentioned that a Vitamix may be in my future..... Could it be?????:

 

Ingredients.....(all organic)   Spinach, Apple, Pear, Banana, carrots, strawberries, Soy Milk and Ice.  (I forgot the flax... whoops)

Verdict:  I couldn't drink it all at a normal breakfast time!  It filled me up completely, it would be several hours before I finished drinking this green goodness...

And how cool is that?  No snacking, No coffee, No feeling hungry, plenty of energy to start my day, even with not much sleep.  And something to sip on for a couple hours that tasted quite yummy!

Then between 12 and 3pm,  I munched on some Walnuts, Apples and Peanut Butter, some pear chunks and Carrot Sticks....

Around 3:30, I started to feel draggy... needing something filling besides Fruit to eat... which means tomorrow, I will be bringing some thing more substantial for Lunch...  Today I just grabbed what I could without having groceries in the house.  So I was lacking something.

And by 5pm, I ate one of Veg's Cliff bars from my purse...  So in total it was a Healthy Food Day and Mostly Raw, for a first one (outside of the cliff bar)... my Dinners will remain Non-Raw until I come up with good recipes that I can realistically make....

Speaking of food???  I have some Shopping to do!

ALPHABET DRIVING GAME

You know the game where you try to find things that start with a letter and who ever gets to Z first wins?  

We were playing in the car yesterday and rather then looking for a winner, all three of us tried to get from A-Z with only THINGS that start with the letter.

Working together it was quite comical...  Veg being the smarty pants that he is tried to use "Water" for the letter "I"....

"How does water possibly start with the letter "I"?"  I asked...

"Because Water is melted Ice so technically water can be used for I"

Then we get to the letter "W" and he says.....  "There's a letter "Y" on that sign, it counts for the letter "W"....

<Ummmm, how do you figure?>

"Because if you spell out the word "WHY" it starts with a "W" "

It amazes me to watch their minds work..... Talk about thinking outside of the B-O-X!

LUNCH BOX FOR DINNER

Veg wanted Tofurky for Dinner.   While we normally use this for quick on the go lunches, I decided it would be fun to make a Lunch for Dinner.

He picked the color theme of Green and Brown...  SO, this is what he got!

 

Snap Pea Crisps, Walnuts, Pears, Broccoli, Tofurky and Green Juice...

Verdict:  "Mom, this is the best dinner ever, it looks just great, now can I have some more green juice"

*smile*

RAW VEGAN FOOD JOURNEY

CALLING ALL RAW FOODIES .....

Here's the deal... I planned to spend several hours this weekend looking up recipes and then heading to the store and beginning our Raw Journey tomorrow (Monday)... That is what I do... Get a bug for something and go for it... So far that has worked for me... Marriage, vacations, becoming Vegetarian.... you know... pretty much everything.. 

And this Raw food thing is just what we need to kick start new healthy recipes in our house...

But this one has me STUMPED!!!

Every single recipe I've clicked on contains Cashews, Almonds, or requires the use of an expensive Dehydrator, High powered Blender, Seeder thing, spinnie thing, a spiral cutting thing that makes Veggies in to pasta... which is totally cool by the way....

Here's the problem... my Vegman can't stomach Cashews or Almonds... those are two nuts that are on his "NO EAT, OR I WILL BE SICK" LIST....  So in the event I find some thing awesome, he can't eat it. 

I don't have any of those kitchen gadgets and don't have the budget right now to make an $800 investment...

And then the bean recipes require soaking etc. for umpteen hours....HELLO, I'm a working Mom, Dinner gets served when I have 30-60 minutes to throw something together... The thought of taking 2 days to make something, requires LOTS of planning...  So if I want to make something with beans i buy the canned kind... Organic, Yes... but still canned.

Now I'm willing to plan, but even so, I'm not sure how this can work with out the proper tools???

I do have Birthday Money waiting for me to use... But in total that = $100....   Which I'm supposed to use for new running shoes....  But could buy a cheap dehydrater instead... but is it worth it?  Will a cheap one be what I need?

Ah Phooey... I guess my Monday will include more healthy meals, but without the RAW thing until I can figure this out.... Any advice is appreciated...

Is it possible to eat mostly raw good tasting foods without expensive equipment?  Can you be a Raw Food Working Parent on a budget, and whip something up in Jiffy as needed?

Going to mow the Lawn now for Father's Day while he naps?  I think I've lost my mind in offering to do so... but a promise is a promise.... If you don't see me back here tomorrow, then you will know that I have melted....  It was nice knowing everyone....

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

TURNING LUNCH BOX INTO SNACK BOX

Today was a Festival Day for Veg and I (Meaning we went to a festival)... Not sure how long we'd be gone from the house, but I knew that snack food would be a requirement for both of us:

These lunch boxes come in SOOO Handy!!!  

I ended up packing us some Peapod Chips, Vegan Natural Animal Cookies, Organic Plums, Organic Carrots, pretzels and a Kashi Apple Bar... We also had Two Containers of Water.  Packed neatly in my cooler back pack...with an ice blanket... 

We munched through out the festival and ate everything except the Kashi Bar... Then we headed out for Vegan veggie filled pizzas... Yum Yum!

GOUT AND ACV

We are currently a NON-Medical Medicine house... and with the Gout coming back yesterday, Hubby once again had to make the decision of Medical Care or not...  He chose NOT!! 

Soooo...  He is eating cherries, lots and lots of cherries.... Fresh, Frozen, juice.... all cherries....  And last night, I convinced him when his ankle was too swollen to move, and he was in more pain then he could bare, fever racing up and down... All the joys of this YUCK!!  To sit in a tub with Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and water.

Between that and the Cherries he saw relief... Even slept through the night, and woke up this morning able to walk.  Another dunk in ACV and a couple times through the day... swelling is gone and pain is gone...  He's still a little gimpy and sore, but 80% improvement....

Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE ACV!!!   

FIRST GREEN SMOOTHIE ATTEMPT

I have made lots of smoothies in my day... we LOVE smoothies in our house, but never have I just thrown in RAW Veggies...

At my first attempt at trying to do so...  This is what I came up with:

• Soy Milk
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Banana
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Flax
• Ice

And this is why I NEED a Vita Mix Blender.....

My Magic Bullet wouldn't pulverize the veggies like I needed but does crush ice very well...So I tried the food Processor.... You can see what it did to the veggies, but wouldn't touch the ice cubes....  Grrrr....

I realized quickly that I don't have the tools needed to go totally Raw.. I don't have a dehydrating thing-a-majig, nor do I have a VitaMix and really nothing else that would help me in this endeavor....

OH Woes Me!!

Alas, this one was quite tasty... Because of the blueberries, the color turned more grey then green...

Verdict:

Veg said he LOVED "GREY JUICE" (his name for this drink) and would drink it again.... BONUS!!!
I liked it as well, and could certainly add more variety next time.  Hubby was a little Iffy on the chunks though I didn't find it too chunky (once removing the ice).....

So YES, I will make these LOTS more!!  And I can see how filling and uberly deliciously nutritious they would be for a start to the morning...  Now if I could only get a Vitamix....  hmmm?  Maybe some day!!!

KubicleKitchen  Friend - Does this count for Breakfast?

HOW MY PHOTOS HAVE CHANGED

I'm sitting here looking at my camera and laughing at myself... Sometimes I do this..  Its a good thing my Hubby is used to the vision of me laughing at myself, because someone else may be a tad concerned.

The laughing is because of what I have taken pictures of lately..... 

There was a time when I had a little pink disk camera thing and I took pictures of my friends and family... I'd pay too much money waiting for them to be developed... 

Then switched to a regular film rectangle style camera... A Canon that got left at Disney World on an Arcade game....and its replacement that took a ton of pictures of People and all the fun things we did... I waited, I paid for those pictures to be developed and the most expensive film with the best exposure to get 12 pics.

Eventually moved on to the digital world...  Where I took many more pictures... had to take the disk to a drop off place or kiosk to get all my pictures developed... I'd wait and pay money....I'd have to buy disks because the memory was so low.

AND NOW... I have a tiny little canon, that can fit in my pocket... I can take 1000 pictures with my memory card if I wanted, and have a printer that will spit out a picture in 20 seconds... I have ink and paper available to me... EVERYTHING I NEED to take a picture, print it and put it in a photo album within minutes.....   Something I would have LOVED to have 10 years ago....

BUT WHAT DO I TAKE PICTURES OF NOW??????   THINGS!!!

Like food, buildings, carrots, cups, bags....

I went from taking pictures that would purposely go good in a Scrapbook page for all our memories, to taking a picture of a cupcake because some one I don't even know, may want to see what I ate.

My Mom said a couple weeks ago, "I can't get a new picture of my Grandson, but you'll take a picture of a Pizza"

Really?  What has become of us Blog People?  How did we get here?

A PASTA DINNER

Veg had a great big late lunch so by dinner time he only wanted a snack bucket.. We compromised with a Muffin Tin (that's not tin) dinner/snack thing...

And the compromise included that every thing had to be RED or ORANGE.... Fine... Its not the most nutritious Dinner/Snack thing.. but it worked for this day..

He had Brown Rice Chips, All Organic Veggies(carrots), fruit (strawberries and cherries) and pasta sauce..  Some noodles from my Ziti and in the white container were 5 little Vegan Gummy Bears.

 

For me, I used left over organic veggies from a dinner earlier this week, peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, mixed with organic pasta sauce and my combination of Tofu (blended ricotta style).. Some Apple Cider Vinegar, seasonings, and kelp powder...  and came up with my Favorite Baked Ziti.

 

Yum Yum Yum.... Knowing that baked pasta dishes are going away for a little while, I decided to splurge this weekend as well as use up some ingredients that I won't need when trying the "Raw" thing.. 

After all, it would be totally irresponsible of me to waste all that food right??? 

I'll pretend you agree with me... I see your heads nodding... 

GOUT IS BACK

Hubby had Gout attacks (very painful - see here)

Hubby went Vegetarian

Hubby had no more Gout (for 17 months)

Hubby ate fish this week

Hubby woke up at 5am with a Gout attack (very painful)

Hubby won't be eating any more fish

Yippeee for the fish....

Poor Hubby!