Vegmom Moments

MORE SNOW DAY FUN AND A GATOR

It started snowing again so Veg and I decided to go back out for a bit... once it began to get dark, we just turned on some outside lights... A little darkness won't keep us from having fun... No Sirree!!  We both did some sledding in the yard, and built some more stuff.

Eventually he went in, and I kept working on his fort.... I think in total we spent 5+ hrs outside today.   Such a fun snowy day.... And thankful we didn't have to be anywhere....

So here is the story of our late night snow adventure:

This is Snowy Gator.... I felt creative tonight, he was not made by the hubby, or he would be much cooler.

This one was all me... with Mud for eyeballs, leaves for nostrils and twigs for claws....  This Snowy Gator is Environmentally friendly :-)

One of his eyes kept falling off, and his mouth is really open, but you can't tell in the pictures.

Another drive in the car before dark... More snow fall, made it seem bigger.

Veg had to adjust the mirrors before he could go for a spin.

 

 

Do you ever just lie in the snow, with no one around, look up at the sky and be still?

Or am I the only one that does this??  Don't answer that!!!

Seriously the most peaceful moment.  And all you can hear is the snow falling (if your quiet enough) and the trees crackling...  It doesn't even feel cold (if wearing waterproof clothes).  Its like you really transported away from everything.   And so quiet... The snow around you makes the sounds so different.

Been many years since I had the opportunity.   And tonight, I took the opportunity....Funny enough, I had to have laid there for the longest time, because at one point the neighbors were looking out their window wondering why I hadn't gotten up.  (they were watching me shovel the fort)... ha ha..

But my own family didn't even come looking for me...  They know I'm just odd.  But I doooo love those moments.  Even if they are odd.... So peaceful...

Fort complete.....He's going in..... 

Yeah, so what if it's dark outside!!  That's what lights are for...

Some windows to the fort turned alien eyes when a light was put in side...

A cool side effect and nothing planned :-)

Hubby has agreed this is now labeled "Swan"...  :-)

Now I must go take a burning hot shower to thaw out my body parts... That fort building is hard work, but I'm positive the temp dropped in the process.... Brrrrr!!!

SNOW CAR...VROOM VROOM

When we woke up today there wasn't as much as expected but there was a BUNCH of snow/ice.  There was enough to shovel for real...

See:   And we shoveled lots... our driveway, our neighbors, driveway... even had to loan out the shovel to people that didn't have them.... There was quite a bit of the heavy wet stuff.

It was even raining while we were out, but we didn't care... I'd say 2hrs at least.

Hubby and I made it a tradition to make a "sculpture" every time we are around snow since we got married.

Some times we made forts.  But mostly tiny snow men, and sometimes if lucky we'd get enough snow for something cool.  Like a Car, a Ship, a Dog, Turtle... The list goes on.

Hubby broke tradition recently when he decided he would no longer partake!  UNTIL TODAY!!!

This my friends is a Turkey!  I say it looks like a swan, you be the judge:

 

 

And this.... THIS... is the masterpiece of the day!!!  Hubby got his touch back, that is for sure!

My job is to shovel piles.  Hubby makes the coolness out of the piles.....  Here we have Herbie the car and his Veg Driver:

 

Then it was Veg's turn to build a "sculpture"...

Here he is gathering snow:

 

And his Masterpiece with Lava rocks and all....  Welcome to Mount St. Tofu...(he said the rocks looked like tofu, hence the name).... Mount St. Tofu is erupting......   RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

As you can tell it was a fun morning here at the Veg house.  Hope you are having fun wherever you may be!!

ITS SNOWING!!

Real, live, blanket covered, wonderful, beautiful, playful Snow....

Earlier I made this guy... I was feeling silly, and he made me happy!

 

But he didn't like to be inside much....  A little to warm for him.

 

They are saying we will wake to bunches more....  as in inches, and inches....

Could it be so???  We shall see!!! 

LAPTOP LUNCHES AND 10% OFF COUPON

Finally some Lunch pics as promised.  I'm almost embarrassed to post these, as it has been a busy morning week and the lunches were thrown together in desperation of quickness.... But they are all Vegan even the cookies.... Almost all Organic, and All Natural, with out any ingredients that you can't pronounce.

Of course, I'm still using our LaptopLunches Lunch boxes but mine are the original.  The new 2.0 version has more little lids and bigger mix and match containers if you choose.  I haven't been Privvy to purchase those yet since I have 2 full sets of the other... But regardless if you use the coupon code "vegmom" on any of their products from their website, you will get 10% off.

And If you get 10%, I get 10%... So I was thinking that, if in the event anyone buys something using the coupon code vegmom, and I get any type of 10% of anything, that I will be donating the full amount to our local Birth and Women's Center. 

Which runs very much on donation assistance, and the only place I know in our area, that allows low-risk women to give birth the way nature intended (unless they home birth of course).  The center will take Momma's without insurance.  And shows love and compassion and gives so much back to the community..

My Lil'Veg Man popped his head out at that birthing center in a comfortable dim lit room, with no wires, no meds, and only 2 people present.  where he never left my side, and I was home 10 hrs later.  Where a nurse came to check on me the following day.  And where I still go for all my Girly visits and they know me 6 years later by name and not a number....  Can't say enough about the place!  Really!!

So there ya have it... Buy something from laptoplunches, use the coupon code vegmom.  You will get 10% off a great product,  and I will get to donate extra funds to a place near and dear to my heart!

I'll post here each time I get to send a check!

Now pics of Veg's lunches this week:

First, if you cut the bottom 1/2 off the apple, it looks like a whole one :-)  But also if you rub a little lemon juice on apple or pear, they keep from browning.  This will be tomorrow's lunch!

Apple, grapes, yummy 3 pepper chips, peanut butter cookie bite, Soy Nuggets with soy sauce, carrots, yellow peppers, dried cranberries and cherries.

This one was REALLY thrown together :-)  Coconut Strawberry banana yogurt, pears, grapes, raw flax crackers, dried fruits and peanut butter cookie bites.

Tofurkey Rolls with tortillas (that fell apart), apples, carrots, grapes, dried fruit (see the theme - they are his favorite lately), pea pod crisps, and barbecue chips.

 

Same as above, only PB&J for the main course.  BORRRING!!!  But it works.

What do your kids have for lunch?  What do you have for lunch?  Please comment, I'm always looking for ideas!!! 

And if anyone reads this besides my Mom and close friends, feel free to put that coupon code on your twitter, your facebook..... your blogs....  Send to friends, family.....  

Save the baggies, help the environment, Use non yuck plastic, Pack nutritious lunches, save money over time, keep the yuck plastics out of your kid's systems. 

We've had ours for a couple years.  They wash well,  Their bottles have never leaked for us, we also have the lunch jars.  They don't leak either and keep our food warm ALL DAY! 

Get a discount on a great product, and help me send a whopping check to a Birthing Center that is all about Women!

THE LETTUCE - IT KEEPS GROWING

I know you really don't care.. but I'm loving the lettuce pics :-)

Today's update is here... AND, I've been eating some, so this is picture, minus some pieces in my belly...

Each morning, I send Veg down to the "garden" for some lettuce that we add to our smoothies.

Probably the coolest gift from my MIL Ever... (shhhh, don't tell her)

 

RAW CHIPS

My new try for the week... was from Go Raw OH MY YUM!!!  Veg said they had the same flavor as our raw banana pudding.   Hubby said they tasted more like banana chips.

I thought they tasted like crunchy sweet banana chips... And made me want a better dehydrator to make my own.... These are not cooked so all the goodness is still inside every little bite.  And Vegan too!!

For now I shall buy these!  OH MY YUM!!!  They were so good, and you couldn't taste the Spirulina at all. 

I also noticed they were filling, and could only have a couple, so the bag will last me several days at work for munchies!!

I'm for sure going to try some of their other flavors....

CHANGE OF PLANS

Because this is a year of no plans, it leaves a lot of room for changing plans!  *smile*

On Saturday after our kids run, we ended up going out to eat... It was a beautiful day so we ate on the patio which we Never do there... But hey, why not?

Then a friend wrote to say they were going ice skating!!!  Well of course we will go!!... And we did! 

Something happened to our kids between this visit and last visit.. Something called Confidence!  My young one was skating off by himself, trying turns, learning how to fall, get up, and catch himself... Her young one was not afraid AT ALL and didn't want to stop skating with his Momma!

They brought me the coolest book that her Hubby picked out filled with Natural remedies and other house fix it things.. It also gives directions on how to kill livestock, but his sweet note in the front told me to ignore that part!  The rest is really good!  I promise!!  Will post more about that later.

Then Sunday it was supposed to be a cleaning and shopping day.. Nothing else planned!  Veg asked if we could "play school"  I agreed, but only if I could work on the "craft lessons".   He set me up an area to do crafts... SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!  Got to make a Birthday card :-)  Am I sneaky or what??

He then asked to go ice skating again?  I told him NO because I had lots to do.... Well after some house chores, all our grocery shopping, and a couple other stops in the pouring down rain, I thought to my self?

"Self?  Why not go ice skating again"  So I checked on the times.... Called ahead for Veg to be ready by the time I got home with groceries, and took him to the rink with only 30 minutes left to skate!!  He was Soooo excited!!  And 30 minutes was plenty.

Then Monday night, I had tons to do (make up for Sunday not doing) ... instead I felt tired, and so I went to sleep!!

Isn't it fun when plans change??  Everything else will get done!  But enjoying your kids, and taking care of yourself, that is the most important plan of all!

Even if I didn't get to post lunch box pictures... coming soon I promise!

YUMMY RAW VEGAN TREATS

Oh, Earthfare, you are my friend!!!!!!!!!!  I hope you don't mind the phone pic!   But I had to share!

Look what I found upon entering!!  A whole new stash of Raw Goodness.... There were more above and below...

Lots more... I was in raw food heaven....  A selection, I haven't seen before!  Even the crackers I was looking for....  Oh My Yum!!

 
Thank you Earthfare!!!

LETTUCE FOREST

Ok, this little indoor growing contraption has been pretty darn cool..

We started our Aerogarden with lettuce, and have about two dud pods that didn't grow..... But the rest are growing like crazy!!

This is what they looked like the first week:

And a couple weeks later, its a forest:

All I have to do is add water once in a while if it gets low, and the little timer doohicky lights up if I need to add nutrients or more water.  Raise the lights when needed... Even I could make these grow!

If only we could get the garden outside to be this happy! :-) 

Veg loves watching, and we come down to visit the plants everyday....  Our little lettuce forest is now a part of the family *smile*

TODAY WE RUN

We went to the kids run today and found 3 kids from Veg's school there... They were soooo excited to see each other and had a blast running... I mean running...

Those little whipper snappers took off, and it had some serious hills.  It would be about 1/2 mile before mine slowed down.  He gave me quite a work out. 

Then he fell... but it wasn't like a "crash" fall, it was like a "Look out, the bottom of the hill is slippery".... and so he did use caution, and still slid, caught himself with his hand and jumped back up.  I was quite impressed.  No drama!  Just kept on trucking... 

Until he realized he had a rock stuck in his hand....Then there was drama!!!  

"Mom, I think I have a rock in my hand".... Really?  A Rock?.... "Yeah, see"

Well Yes, yes you do have a rock in your hand... Hmmmm??  Good thing I had some nails to fish out the rock... but he was not having any of that running stuff after the rock thing...No tears or anything, just decided he was done!!  Walked most of the rest, but sprinted at the end.  And got the bestest Goody bag ever...  Even the bag was nice!

Had an entire colored pencil set, folders, Ruler with all the presidents on it, whole pack of ruled paper, ++++ more... and they even had bananas after the race!  Which I think is a requirement, of any good race, by the way.... Gotta have bananas at the end.

Now the real fun begins, he has to start logging his miles... Oh but they gave them pedometers.  How cool is that?? 

So glad we went!!  It was great fun!

ONE OF THOSE DAYS

Have you ever had one of those days where you walked 6 miles but didn't calculate correctly, so while you thought you were done, you actually had another .8 to go... 

And You end up 10 minutes late to a conference call, that your hosting because your phone decided to randomly die, and then you spill your water on your desk (just barely missing) the keyboard...

When you flub your words by mistake, But it garners  a good laugh because it was a word that would not normally come out of your mouth...

Then you go to a meeting in your boss's office and realize your 30 minutes early  (after he tells ya)  and your work phone keeps ringing because someone, somewhere put your phone number on their website by mistake...

And then you realize that you don't really have the weekend to finish up some much needed work because the system is about to go down, so you cram as much in to the remaining hours as possible...  All the while having the hiccups that you hadn't had in years.... The kind that wouldn't go away and are so loud they rattle the building.

You know those days, where you just have to laugh at yourself, then be thankful that you have a job to go to, and that you made it to your child safely even IF it was in a nick of time, and that your able to walk at all, let alone 6 miles, and that you could make people laugh even at your expense, and that now you don't have to work the whole weekend because the system is down... 

Have you ever had one of those days?  

I have, and they are still good days *wink*

LAPTOP LUNCHES

LOOK LOOK LOOK.... A 10% OFF COUPON!!    I'm so excited... 

Just go to laptoplunches.com  Check out their really nifty lunch ideas and products.. Then buy something and use the coupon code vegmom.... That simple.. and you get 10% off, just like that!  I've never had advertising on the site before.  But this one, I must!

I've Dabbled with some Amazon links just to show the books I liked.  Maybe I'll grab those again some day.  But I sooooo believe in this product.  And it is sooooo worth it to advertise...

We've had ours for a couple years now, actually we have a couple sets, plus a couple cold drink containers and hot flasks.  Their products withstand the test of our child, daily school visits, and trips, and hikes and.... gives me the ability to pack many different foods.  I love the containers.  I'm a container junkie.  But these are safe containers... 

I don't have much time now, but will post some more lunch pictures later, and put this button in the right nav so you can come back and click again and again....

 

Thank you Laptop Lunches for this great offer!!  PS. Spread the word... Anyone can use the code!!

COMPLIMENTS?

Hubby looked at me today and said "Your starting to get your Girlish figure back"!

Well Thank you Dear!  I'm not sure if that is a compliment or not so much!   Coming from his mouth it was a very big compliment, he doesn't get much more genuine then that...  But I'll keep him...

In the mean time if I didn't have a "Girl'ish" figure before today, then what did I have?

DON'T ANSWER THAT!!!  *smile*

1/2 MARATHON TRAINING CONTINUES

Such a difference between this year and last.  No pain, no struggles, no "pushing" myself... Well being 15 pounds lighter will do that.  But also I'm convinced that my Food choices are making a huge difference.

Helping my body to get what it needs, and fix when it doesn't.  I'm looking forward to every exercise day, today contains a 6 mile walk and can't wait!!!  Its a little rainy (who cares)

As mentioned I'm walking it this year with a Walking Buddy and we are doing it right... taking break days, starting slow and increasing both distance and speed as we progress... This is our 3rd week, I think, and so far soooo good!

Tomorrow is a special day though.. My Vegman has a One Mile Kids run that kicks off his marathon... He'll need to log 30 minutes (1 mile) worth of exercise for 26 days over the next 2 months... And that will get him to finish his marathon goal..... OH IS he excited this year....  He knows what to expect, and is wanting that certificate, that medal, that completion.....

I'm looking forward to it also!   What a great way to get kids motivated.. And how fun when what we do positively affects them....  Makes it all worth while!

WHY DON'T THEY TELL??

I am not a doctor, and I am not a professional of any kind, so take this for what its worth...

I'm a MOM!  And I'm annoyed!...  So hold on to your eyeballs because this Mom is about to hop on a soap box!!!

People joke that I should write a book based on what I've learned, and maybe I would if I could find someone to publish it and knew anyone would read it.  But for now, I have this blog, and its my blog so I can say what I want to!

I have seen and heard and read stories of child after child with chronic allergy, illness, asthma, breathing issues, behavior problems, sinus..... ACK!  The list goes on.... Why oh why don't their doctors say

"Lets try changing their diet and see if that helps?

FOOD PREP MONDAY

I spent Monday night prepping food for the remainder of the week so I could grab and go... Some raw, some not so much... but allll good, all Vegan and all easy!!  I didn't have too many hours left in the night, so my goal was to whip out as much as I could before crashing in to bed....

Here are some quick and easy items that will or have hit our bellies since Monday's Prep:

Beet Salad - 2 beets (peeled & washed) and a chunk of onion.   Chop chop chop both with Mr. Vita-Mix.   Pour in a bowl and stir in a TBS of Apple Cider Vinegar.  Easy, tasty and full of good red root nutrients.

 

Some Hummus for dipping, spreading, and mixing.... -  1 Can of garbanzo beans drained and rinsed, 2TBS Tahini, 1 TBS Olive Oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1 or 2 cloves garlic and 2 tsp cumin (more or less to taste).

Mix Mix Mash all ingredients in Mr. Vita-Mix (or blender/food processor) of your choosing, and Voila!

 

Modified  Waldorf Salad --- I didn't have Walnuts so I made do...And it came out sooo good!

Mix together in a bowl, chopped apples coated with a little lemon juice,  a bit of chopped onion to taste, raw sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, a little olive oil and a little Apple cider vinegar.    Mix and eat, or put in the fridge and eat when cold.  Yum!

 

Made some Banana pudding... Just Bananas in blender (Mr. Vita-Mix) with a little vanilla and a little lemon juice.   So easy and so good!

 

Some Potato Salad... this one sounds gross but is really good, its a modified version from the Vegan Lunch box cook book, since I only make enough for a couple of us, I don't need a full version. 

In the bottom of a bowl, I put a little mustard, a little apple cider vinegar, a little olive oil, some chives, and garlic salt.  Mix all together.. Then add a chopped up baked potato and some chopped onion.  Coat the potato and onion with dressing... Eat warm or put in the fridge and eat Cold. 

 

Made some more Chick Pea Patties and popped them in the oven while making other things: 

ingredient list here

 

Some more Hemp Nacho Cheese (no cheese) sauce:

Original Story and recipe link here

 

Can you tell Mr. Vita-Mix was very busy???

 I Chopped some Carrots and apples... great for throwing in our lunches, grabbing for snacks or topping a salad.  I realized that we will eat more fruit and veggies, if they are cut, washed and in the fridge waiting our greedy hands.... 

On Tuesday Hubby chopped cucumbers, peppers and more carrots, so we are prepared to throw salads together at a moment's notice for at least 5 days.

 Veg wanted Stir Fry, so I made a big pot of Short Grain brown rice to have on hand at dinner time for my growing boy... Makes it much easier for adding to lunches in the morning as well.

My Fridge was VERY Happy!!

Our Bellies have been very happy too!!

Whoop!  Almost forgot the Kale chips... Can't forget the Kale Chips...

Oh sooo good!!  Original Kale chip story and recipe link here

 

So there ya have it!!  I started the Kale in the morning, and let it do its Dehydrate thing all day.  But for the rest of my prep..... That happened AFTER Veg went to sleep and was all done and cleaned up in a couple hours. 

Allowed for quick Lunch making, on the go snacks, and faster dinners.... A Win/Win for all....Now, if I could just be this prepared EVERY week, we'd be all set!

I'm getting there though! :-)

BANANA AND MR. VITA-MIX

Mr. Vita-mix loves bananas... You see they are soft, easy to blend, and can be made in to everything from Pudding to Popsicles....

And Today, he did all of the above:

First was Smoothie.. A super super green smoothie:

 

Blend Mr. Vita-Mix - your not quite done yet....

I don't like the green speckles.. In case you were wondering..

 

Then there were bananas... a whole lot of bananas:

 

Mash Mash Mash... and pour then freeze:

 

But your not done yet... Oh No!!  We want some pudding!  Add a dash of lemon juice to keep the color, a dash of Vanilla for some flavor.... And VOILA!

 

Thank you Mr. Vita-Mix... You are done for now!!

PLAN OF THE DAY

Had today off work.. but after a weekend of family fun time (bowling, roller skating and board games) exercise, good food, good sleep and crafts, (check out the cards I made here) I wasn't sure how I would make today any better....

Until Veg and I realized it was Sunny and 50 degrees outside... We had to implement a P.O.D (Plan of the day)...

On my List - Some house chores, Errands, Grocery Shopping, Game Playing, Smoothie Making, Food Prep

On Veg's List - Park, Tennis, Basketball, Smoothies, Lunch and Game Playing...

Guess who won?  We both did.... On our P.O.D we put all items in to action.  Worked together, played hard, and had a blast filling every second of the day!!!

Tomorrow, I shall go back to work, yes this is true!  But the Memories of an awesome weekend will keep me smiling....

And so will these.... Yum to Kale Chips!! Thank you Mr. Dehydrator!

MUCH MORE LETTUCE

I can't believe how fast this stuff is growing!!  Still hasn't been a month.. and Look:

RAW FOODS UPDATE

Its been a while since I posted an update regarding my diet shift.... I have to admit it is still harder to stay raw during the winter months then I thought it would be, without the Farmer's Market and as many fresh options.  But I am staying mostly Vegan. 

Still sticking with Delicious and Nutritious Raw Green Smoothies almost every morning..  And if I miss a morning, MAN, Do I hear about it from the Male species in this house.

Even hubby said today, that he never realized how much those were helping him until I didn't make one this morning.... Whoops!!!  My lack of morning smoothie actually had me as the bad guy for his lack of energy all day long!!

Veg commented yesterday that he thinks this is his first school winter that he hasn't been sick, and thanked his Morning Green Smoothies for that.  Then told me, I better never miss a morning....

I heard from him TOO when this morning was missed!  SHAME ON ME! 

BUT, I've actually been making double batches during the week.  So I take two gigantic cups to work with me every day.  Allowing me Raw Green Goodness for breakfast, and some for mid day snack.  My lunches have been mostly of the salad variety, or raw hemp cheese (my new favorite) with dipping veggies.  Sometimes Hummus, Vegan potato salad or brown rice.  I've also been packing fresh fruit, fresh veggies, and some nuts/seeds for snacking.

Oh and the Dehydrator has been GREAT this winter for lots of yummy raw snacks.

I'm actually so full (mostly) that my dinners are light, and while sometimes cooked or warm, they are still WAY WAY less then I used to eat...  Its been months since I've baked anything.  All our 'junk foods' are either Raw (thanks to Mr. Vita-Mix) or purchased as a special vegan treat when out.

As for how I feel. So many more positive shifts... Hair, nails, skin, symptom free monthly visits, more energy, sleeping better, no soreness, no muscle aches, carpel tunnel dissipated, no little white spots in my nails, bruising on my legs totally gone, wrinkles starting to fade, even my belly stretch marks are beginning to fade a tad.  No more lip cold sores/fever blisters, eyes bright and clear, actually seeing better, Ah the list goes on........

I haven't lost any weight in a while, which is OK, fitting in to all my clothes again (even my smaller ones) and losing inches each week.  So that makes me happy!! 

I'm just realizing more and more how much of what we eat makes up how we feel.  I've said that for years.  But never realized how much our bodies can heal themselves from the inside out.  I always thought the damage was done. 

But, when given the fuel to do so, the body does seem to heal..   I'm also realizing how much we American's poison our body with things like preservatives and processed foods, then cook out every nutrient that could be helping us.

Basically, Cooked, baked and processed foods are NOT what my body needs to function.. And it actually does much better with out them.   Then cravings go away also.... And the sugar highs/lows go away with them... Its a win win situation....

Feeling good is a Wonderful thing!   Having my Family feel good because of my choices, Even Better!

INDOOR GARDEN CONTINUES

Look-see... we have lettuce!  Its growing quite quickly...

In fact this picture was yesterday....

 

And this picture is today:

 

The other pods are about 1/2 this size.. but they will catch up, I think.

And I actually tried a piece today... Guess what?  It tastes like Lettuce!  :-) 

Very cool indeed!   Lettuce is growing in my basement....  So Fun!

BACK TO THE 80'S

Do you ever wake up and think.....  Lets do something different today?  Well I do that lots, but this time I was on a mission...  Taking the Vegman Roller Skating.. But finding a roller skating place was harder then I thought...

Until I realized there is one not too far from our Favorite Veggie eating place!  BONUS!!!!  Yummy Food, and some skating!  How perfect is that??

So off we went on our mission...

 

And we found it... And it took me back to the 80's in a big way.. I almost think the skates were still from the 80's but people were even dressed like it.   Torn jeans and the hair and the sweaters off the shoulder... I was like "Did we just time warp??"......  Then the song "Thriller" came on and I was like... "Yes, we have certainly gone in to the time machine"

The Vegman LOVED our adventure...Thankfully, Hubby walked on the skating floor, and kept Veg up right (mostly) while I enjoyed skating around and getting my rolling feet back.  

Been many years, since I set foot in 4 wheel skates... THINK Bonaventure?  Is it still there??   Hubby was pretty impressed with my ability to stay standing.... ha ha... Took me a little while to get my footing back, but then I was swooshin around, and gliding like it was 1988 :-)

By the last time around, Veg finally GOT it!  We used NeeNee's "Focus" trick... goes like this... Find something to look at and try to get there... Focus on that spot and you won't fall.  It seemed to work... For the most part.

As long as he "stayed focused" :-)

 

Tons of Skating fun!!!  Another great day with no plans for 2010 *smile*

THINK I'LL LET IT GO

Veg heard a snippet of a radio comedy skit discussing beer.  The rest of the show was totally kid friendly but the beer part came on and I didn't have time to change it. 

ANYWAY - the joke goes that Beer has a female hormone in it, and when men drink they start to turn in to women....  Then it continues about all the things men do that make them act like women.  It is a funny joke actually.  

But since the Vegman has never been around beer, all he knows, is that it is a drink choice when he reads restaurant menus....

Fast Forward to the other day... He hears a commercial on the radio for hormone replacement therapy....Not thinking he's even listening... then I hear from the back seat:

"Mom Mom Mom, I know what that stuff is!"

<What stuff?>

"Hormones!>

<Oh, what are they?>

"Thats the stuff in Beer that make Men turn to women"

<Oh that stuff!!>

"Maybe that medicine on the commercial is to help people turn back in to men"

<Well I don't think thats what its for>

---------Later at a restaurant-----------

He spells the word "beer" on the menu and I hear:

"Mom MOm, here's that stuff with the hormone that turns men in to women, why would someone order this?"

<ummmmm......>

Now the question is?  Do I let him think this, or do I correct him... Because thinking this is a fact, isn't such a bad thing....

I can see it now at 14 or 16 someone trying to get him to drink a beer... "Oh Noooo, I'm not touching that, do you know what that does to guys"

*wink*  hmmm.... This could be a good thing!

SLEEPING IN - CAN IT BE DONE?

Oh my young child... my sweet, sweet, loving, wonderful, little smart alec of a child....  He has this thing of waking me up on weekends...

Ya see, he wakes up at the SAME time every day, whether it is a school day or not.  You can always tell what time it is, by knowing when he has walked out of his room.

Well a couple weeks ago he woke me up at 7:00 on a Saturday and 7:00 on Sunday, and 7:00 on the holidays...  last Saturday I finally said... "It's the weekend, its Saturday, why oh why do you wake me up EVERY day, can you give Daddy a turn?"

"NO".. he says, "Daddy isn't as nice as you in the morning".... 

<Well if you wake me up tomorrow (Sunday) at 7, I think I will decide not to be nice either>

"OK Mom, I won't wake you at 7:00"

------Sunday Morning--------

"Mom Mom, wake up.... It's not 7:00 its 6:30"

AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Well all this week, Hubby has slept in... Every single day... and he slept in all last weekend two, well and the weekend before and before that... You get the idea.....

I told said HUBBY that I WILL BE sleeping in tomorrow....... I WILL!!! 

Ha, we shall see... Maybe I should go to bed now just in case. :-)

KUDOS TO STARBUCKS

I stopped in at Starbucks today (shhhhh!!)  and they have a whole new line of goodies...  All natural, healthy goodies.   Some were even Vegan... and Do I say?? Some were even Raw!

Two Moms in the Raw to be exact.  I've never heard of this brand before, and never seen their products.  UNTIL TODAY!  AT Starbucks, I got a couple to try.. And to support the cause... Raw Foods in STARBUCKS...Really, how cool is that!!!! 

Turns out They are HUGE bars.  And not like the other chewy bars I've had... these are Raw and Vegan and Organic, and even Gluten Free.   They are crunchy, with just a little chewy instead of the other way around.  Good whole natural ingredients.  Everything from seeds, to berries.  Even Goji Berries.

I don't see the bars on their website, but the ingredients are similar to this Granola.  And the bar was soo big and filling, that I could only have 1/2.  The rest will be for tomorrow. 

Anyway, I love the story of the Mom that started this, and how she went Raw to help her MS.   The rest is history.  And the fact that Starbucks is carrying these products, in my opinion is a huge step forward to people grabbing some healthy goodness on the go. 

Even if they also get a double shot latte with whip... A raw food option, is much better then a pastry....

So Kudos to you Starbucks!  And thank you for having Yummy Healthy treats on the go....  As for those Two Moms..  Thank you for that goodness.

Now I just need to try those crackers.... I must find me some of those crackers...

DISTURBING FOODS

Watching other people eat animal products, has never really bothered me....

But for some reason, certain things do now. Maybe its because I understand more what happened to those critters.  Maybe because I understand more about what is really in that food they are eating. 

Maybe because I'm just getting weirder as I age and this is a natural transition... but today, I watched someone eating 2 things of so called meat and beans in a can....  As in, who knows what from a pig (maybe), mixed with some beans and who knows what kind of sauce....then stored in a can with a shelf date of FOREVER!!  And then branded with a cute little rhyming name and heated in the microwave, to make it even more disgusting.

I had to walk away...I really was that grossed out by the concept.  And then it makes me wonder... HOW, do people eat that stuff???  Ewwwww!!!

Here is some food for thought from Earthfare about what comes in a can of meat.... YUCK!!!

 

VEGAN HUMMUS PATTIES AND MORE

My next Food Goodness to post about this week is not raw but is Vegan, and I have no exact amounts.... But I must share...

It all started long ago (last year) in a far away land (my office) when a co-worker suggested I use mashed Organic Garbanzo beans (chick-peas) for taco meat...

This was a simple recipe....  use a potato masher on 2 cans of the drained/rinsed beans.  Then add to the bowl a packet of taco seasoning (I use simply organic) and a little lemon juice and a little garlic.... Mix all together....

We have used this in Spaghetti for a Mexi-flare, and tacos, and bean dips, and.... well... everything that requires the texture.... So last week when I made the spaghetti for hubby and Veg, I had extra taco'ish garbanzo beans left...

And I had the brilliant Idea to make chick pea patties..  Although i had no idea what they would taste like or how to make them, I just started adding stuff to the bowl.....

Thick cut Oats, raw sunflower seeds, onions, pepper, hemp seed, flax seed, garlic salt, all seasons salt...  And I mixed it all together.   I kept adding the above ingredients till it was like an oatmeal cookie dough consistency.  . then I started to make patties... RUH ROH!!  They didn't stick together. 

So I made the executive decision to add some Olive Oil.  Just a little and enough to make the patties stick.  Then I formed the patties and put them on a cookie sheet.

I baked them at 350 until they were crispy on the outside and still a little soft on the inside.....

Then I took a picture... which somehow was deleted from camera (user error) and so you won't see any prep pictures....

The point of this is story is that they were Very Very Very good, and you should make your own Vegan Chickpea patties if you like that kind of thing....  They were nutty and grainy, and beany, but with a mexi flare from the seasoning, and they were just SOOOO good!

Fast forward a few days.... and to my surprise...  this same co-worker said... "Hey, did you know if you mix 1 part hummus to 1 part mashed black beans, and some garlic salt.. then spread on bread, you can make ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwiches with out the cheese"

Ooooh... and so I did...And I took a picture.  But it somehow got deleted (that user error) Both Veg and his Daddy drooled after eating this and asked for more.  Their taste buds, I tell ya... they are a changing!!!   Hubby kept saying "this is so strange but sooo good"  I have to give them both credit for sticking by me and giving stuff a try....

And there was some of the mix left..... I remembered my Chick Pea Patties, and followed the same recipe above but used the hummus and black bean mixture instead of just the chick peas...

 I'm thinking they could be made in the dehydrator too, to keep them less "baked" but I don't have those no stick sheet things, so I have yet to make such creations.

The next batch, was more moist, and we made sandwiches out of them.  Then I took a couple pictures that I didn't delete.. So here ya go:

Put some Vita-Mix hummus on the grainy bread, then lettuce, kale, and finally two patties, torn up to fit.

Folded bread in half... And Voila!!! 

A yummy Vegan, hummus, black bean, flax, hemp and oat sandwich!!!

The goodness continues:

Next day we ran out of Bread from all the stuff above... But Veg wanted Nut Butter and Jelly.....  So I grabbed some tortillas...

Why not? Worth a try... After all, this is the year of no plans, going with the flow, trying new things.... And so I made, Tortilla Sandwiches....  First he wouldn't touch it..."thats gross"

Then hubby had one and asked for more... then Veg said "Hmm, Ok, I'll try it"  And he did....  And then Veg asked for them in his lunch every day....  Success!!!!!!  And less bread to boot...

 

I didn't want the chips to get soggy, so we put a container of chips and a container of nut butter and jelly.. then he dipped and dunked his chips for a nice Snacky part of his lunch.

So there ya have it.... 3 New tries in a 5 day span.... Who knows what I will make next???  The possibilities are endless now that my eyes and tastebuds are open to so many wonderful things.

VEGAN HEMP CHEESE

Ah, so much goodness in one week (And its only Monday)... I must share!!! 

Starting with Kristen's Raw - Vegan Cheesy Hemp Nacho sauce.... Yes I said Vegan... It has no cheese, no dairy, no animal products... and its RAW!  As in, its NOT COOKED!!   But its creamy, its cheesy, and its GOOD!! I'm still shocked that it can possibly taste so good and kicking myself for not trying it sooner!  OH SO GOOD!!!

Last night I pulled out my "new try" ingredients from the weekend and whipped up a batch:

By looking at it, I wasn't so sure... Then I dipped a blue corn chip (yes chip not raw but it was all I had near by) and it was soo good, so I dipped a carrot... Yum... on to more exciting things.. as in anything I could dip.....

Hubby had a potato baking, so I poured the cheesy sauce on there.  He was like "WHAT ARE YOU DOING???"  and I was like.... "TRY it and TRUST ME".... Ugh... he whimpered... but he loved loved loved it! 

I took some for lunch today.  Dunked raw kale, raw carrots, and some raw macadamia nuts... What?  I ran out of veggies...... I was a dunking fool!

 

Then it dawned on me that for the first time in several years my no-dairy Vegman could have his long time wish of Mac and Cheese....  (Kristen if your reading this, cover your ears/eyes)  I got him some elbow noodles just as his favorite from before nix'ing the dairy.... and made him this special creamy treat... 

No throw-ups-  no migraines - no ear infections.... Just creamy cheesy no cheese goodness, and he was in all his glory:

 

For me... and hubby, we had vegan lettuce wrap taco's for dinner:

Romaine Lettuce for the taco, some mashed black beans, the hemp cheese sauce, salsa and onions... 

I Will make this again and again, only have more veggies handy the next time... in two days, i've gone through so many vegetables it is rediculous....

I put the chips out for Hubby to make nachos for himself.  Imagine my surprise when he put the chips down and grabbed a piece of lettuce instead. 

He said "That actually looks kind of good"

And then said "This is too wierd, why am I eating this?"  as he was biting in and asking for seconds.... BECAUSE IT'S GOOD!!!  Next thing I know, he was grabbing petals from the onion and dunking it in the cheese sauce and eating it straight from the onion...

Ha ha ha... I think I'm starting to convert him more and more to the bright side of food goodness.

 

I've already made another batch as someone at work asked me to bring it for her tomorrow, and I have my lunch already scooped out in bowls... Hmm?  Wonder if you can eat too much of this stuff?  Maybe I'll find out.

Thank you Kristen for such a great and versitile recipe.  I think this will be a weekly addition to our home.

STILL NO PLANS

Remember I said this would be the year of no plans.... Well so far, I'm loving it :-)

Walking buddy asked "can we meet at 9:30?"

<Sure, I have no plans>

Weather was bad.. walking buddy says "can we change to 10:30?"

<Sure, I have no plans>

It works, see.... 

Then while home on Friday a Veggie friend writes and says "I just came up with the best concoction... mix hummus and mashed black beans, then put on bread and make a grilled cheese without the cheese"

Guess what?  I had beans and I had hummus and I had bread.... Why not?  Jumped up and made us all a grilled-no-cheese sandwich.  The boys LOVED this, and made two... calling me weird the entire time.  But they loved it...

Today, I ran around cleaning from one end of the house to the other, and guess what?  It was easy because I got it all done New Years weekend... So this was more of a straighten then a "clean"...But I did get another closet totally revamped....

We decided to make it fun and add some exercise... So Veg and I set the timer for 10 minutes, and would clean as FAST as possible to get as many rooms and surfaces done in that 10 minutes.  Then again and again...

Seriously I was sweating... it was a good work out and so fun... to make cleaning fun is a good thing...

Then a strange call from an old friend of Hubbies... he was in town and wanted to meet for lunch...

<Sure, we have no plans>  So all got dressed and out we went....

Sleeping in because I can, making cleaning fun....throwing rocks on ice, a snow day from school,  playing board games just because, I'm growing lettuce in my basement for petesake...

What a great year.. *Smile*

VEGGIE HUMOR

There are people, that just don't get the concept of being Vegetarian.. But add Vegan to the mix and well, you might as well forget it.... now try to explain that your eating more raw foods, and you would think you'd come from the planet Mars.

OK maybe I do come from a different planet, but I like myself here....

Anyway, here are some of the responses I've gotten lately that make me snicker inside:

• It just has chicken broth so you can eat it right?
• Fish won't hurt you, its not like its an animal?
• If you steam the veggies, they aren't really cooked, right?
• Nope, there isn't any meat in that, only bacon!
• Don't worry, you can eat this Muenster cheese, its vegan because it has vegetable rennet?
• I made this vegan for you and only used Egg Whites.
• Yes the Spaghetti is Vegetarian, we took the meat balls out after the sauce was done cooking.
• No, we don't use any animal products in our soup, but it does have heavy cream in it.

Ah, we must educate, or laugh... I'll choose to do both, but sometimes you just have to laugh!