Happy World Vegan Day!

I'm trying to get closer to 90% vegan, since I've been slipping recently.  (Too many yummy treats floating around!)  So today, I re-dedicate myself to the vegan lifestyle in celebration of World Vegan Day!

Just around the corner is Thanksgiving! Vegan cousin Shannon and I are plotting our yummy vegan additions to the family dinner menu and have found several inspiring links...

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/Celebrate-a-Vegan-Holiday.aspx
http://www.vegan.com/recipes/vegan-thanksgiving-recipes-2009-a-feast-by-robin-robertson/
http://www.vegansoapbox.com/chef-tal-ronnens-vegan-thanksgiving-menu/
http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/menus/2008/11/vegetarian-thanksigiving-menus

My go-to dessert recipes

Want to impress with simple vegan dessert recipes?  Me too!  My favorite two are peanut butter chocolate chip blondies and fresh apple crisp.

Feel free to undercook these babies for pure gooey heaven. (Recipe)

I used oats instead of bran cereal.  Apples courtesy of 93-yr-old neighbor Clara. (Recipe found by Lisa.)

Cooking with eggplant: Part 2

If you haven't figured out by now, let me fill you in: I'm from Wisconsin.  Most of my family still lives in WI - and they get to have REAL gardens!!  So when my beloved cousin Lisa came to visit, she brought along one of my favorite vegetables: an eggplant from her garden.  After searching online we found a delightfully simple recipe that included farmers market heirloom tomatoes.  We made a variation of these roasted eggplant/tomato stacks with a side of fresh corn on the cob, and sauteed corn and Anaheim pepper.  Again, i find that fresh basil sprinkled on top is the best.

Cooking with eggplant: Part 1

While perusing some cookbooks from the library, I got inspired to make my own concoction of ingredients floating around my kitchen.  Here was my "kitchen sink" meal centered around roasted eggplant...

From my garden: basil, rosemary, pepper, tomatoes.
From the farmers market: eggplant, garlic, torpedo onion, cipolini onions.

I sliced the eggplant, soaked and cleaned the cipolinis, and concocted a dressing of EVOO, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, rosemary leaves.  Roast in oven around 400 degrees for ~30 min. (If you just want to roast the cipolini onions, check out this easy recipe.)
In a frying pan, I sauteed the thinly sliced torpedo onion and the chopped Anaheim pepper.  This is what happened after I sprinkled fresh basil on the stack:

YUM.  Yeah, I totally ate several stacks.

Google's bday present to me

Every year on my birthday, Google gives me a free hour-long massage.  Nice, right?  Well, this year it got even better.  Not only did I get a massage credit, they turned all the micro kitchens in my building into EXTREME HEALTHY Micro Kitchens!  For the month of September, they've swapped out the overly processed and sugary foods for fresh fruits, hummus, house-made energy nuggets, and sparkling waters.
Added bonus?  They've decided to try Meatless Mondays for September at our 2 busiest cafes.  I'm very excited about "my gifts!!"  26 will be a fantastic year!

Young at heart

I just turned 26.  It has been a bitter pill to swallow.  I'm practically 40 years old.  Am I really who I want to be by now?
However, my actual birthday was great!  I felt the love from friends and family.  My coworkers even got me a vegan chocolate cake from Whole Foods.  Everyone who sampled it loved it!  It was very rich, moist and chocolatey.  My manager prides himself on being closed minded, so he refused to try it and claimed it smelled like rubbing alcohol.  Purely a mental reaction/aversion, since no one else agreed.  Today I miraculously convinced him to try it, and he didn't vomit or shudder.  His face was not pleasant, but he said it wasn't horrible - just weird tasting.  I told him how proud I was of him for trying it!  Progress, people.  Progress.
Have you heard of the term "real age?"  If you take the test at www.realage.com, they'll ask you a billion questions about your life.  My results tell me that my real age is 19.5 years old.  Nice!  I think some of their rationale is bogus, but apparently I need to improve my flexibility and get a dog.  Maybe I need to do more yoga instead of DDR.  At least I feel young at heart!  Let me raise a glass to always improving my health - no matter what my age.

Favorite Farmers Market

All of this produce for $8.70.  I'm telling you - it is best to go right before the market closes for the awesome deals (or free bok choy shoved in your bag).  I love the Mountain View Farmers Market!  Have you voted for your favorite market?


Then I whipped up a stir fry with my fresh tomatoes, leftover tofu, some garlic, balsamic vinegar, ground black pepper, and cayenne.  I definitely took a gamble with that sauce combination, but I think it highlighted the natural veggie flavors quite well!

Experimenting

I love weekends where I have the time to experiment with new recipes.  This weekend I tried 2 new ones and re-vamped an old one.  I revisited the black bean/corn/quinoa salad we made for the barn party, except this time we added mango and avocado - a tremendous improvement.  Best eaten with salty tortilla chips.  Yesterday I made the vegan apple muffins in my previous post, which turned out great and are now in my freezer for future enjoyment.
The other new recipe that my friend Steph and I tried was a vegan chocolate chai cheesecake. DECADENT (and easy to make)!!  My pictures aren't as great as the VeganPandamonium site, so check out how pretty it can look.

Vegan Chocolate Chai Cheesecake
-2 containers of 8oz Tofutti cream cheese
-1/4 block of extra firm tofu
-2/3 c agave syrup (could've used 1/2 c next time)
-2 tsp vanilla
-1/4 c + 1Tbs Chai tea concentrate
-2 Tbs of corn starch
-1 9" store bought pie crust
-vegan chocolate chips

Oven 350 degrees. Put cream cheese, tofu, agave, vanilla, chai in blender.  Then mix in corn starch. Line bottom of pie crust with thin layer of choco chips. Pour filling into crust. We dotted the top with more choco chips. Bake for 45 minutes until top is golden.  Let it set for at least an hour in fridge.  (We, of course, could not wait that long = goopey slices.)  Drizzle with choco syrup, if desired.

Pining for home and apples

shirt from WisconDiego.com

It's family reunion weekend in WI, and where am I?  In CA.  Making apple muffins.  Because that's what I do when I miss WI - I make apple products.  How often does that happen?  Not much.  Not since I moved out here in the Fall of 2007.  That was my handmade caramel apple phase.  Apples abound in WI, especially in my parents' backyard orchard, so I have a strong association with apples and WI.  Every year our family creates an apple pie assembly production and churns out dozens of pies for freezing and baking.  So now that everyone is playing in WI except me, I decided to make apple muffins using the bucket of apples my neighbor had set out with a "FREE" sign.  The 2 cups of applesauce and the 12 muffins that resulted from that bucket turned out fantastically.  Too bad I still miss WI.

Vegan Apple Muffins (courtesy of the Happy Herbivore)
-1.5 c flour
-.5 c oats
-2 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-2 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp apple mix spice (or ginger and nutmeg separately)
-.25 tsp salt
-.5 c sugar
-.25 c brown sugar
-.25 c maple syrup
-1 c unsweetened apple sauce
-1 c diced apple

Oven 350 degrees. Thoroughly mix dry ingredients, then add sugars and wet ingredients. Plop in greased muffin sheet. Sprinkle top with brown sugar.  Cook for 15 min.

My name is Laura, and I have an addiction.

Or several addictions.  If you've read any of my posts, you'd know that I am addicted to sugar.  Addictions run in my genes.  You may also have noticed that I'm developing an addiction that I've ignored.  So here I am now - declaring my addiction to plants.  No, not that certain fun-loving California herb, but all plants in general.  You see, when left unsupervised, I end up planting vegetables and herbs in anything resembling a pot.  I now have nearly 15 plants growing in my courtyard and 2 on my desk at work.  After today's shopping spree (the nursery was having a 30% off sale!), I now have the following species: rosemary, basil, stevia, Anaheim peppers, jalapeño peppers, Early Girl tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, and onions.
Surely, now my neighbor Drew will never agree to water my plants ever ever again.  Looks like I won't be going anywhere for awhile.  Time for more visitors!

In other news, I found my new favorite produce market: http://www.demartiniorchard.com/  They have samples for EVERYTHING, and it's relatively inexpensive for such fresh, high quality goods.  That's where I purchased a canary melon and Crunchfuls cereal (a Mountain View-based product).

I'm a winner in my book

Apparently I have a competitive spirit - when I know I have a good chance of winning, anyway.  I like setting goals, achieving them, and kicking the butts of my competitors.  Examples...
-Roomie and I have a "Wish Board" in our kitchen with all our goals for the year.  Seeing the board every day reminds me of what I want to accomplish.  Also, it holds us accountable, since we can remind each other (our guests check in on our progress too.)  Start learning the Thriller dance, Angela!
-See previous post for Jump Rope Competition.
-For the next 5 weeks I've enlisted in another G-Fit competition where I submit my athletic accomplishments every day.  It gets progressively more challenging, but today's exercise mandate was 30 min of cardiovascular exercise and 25 crunches, for example.
-Roomie and I play DDR on a regular basis (Dance Dance Revolution with Wii).  She usually beats me, but I love the thrill of the thumping beats and syncopated rhythms that keep us jumping, bouncing, and stomping to beat our high scores.
-A couple friends and I are trying out "August Accountability" competition.  We have to track our sweets and exercise amounts on a shared Google spreadsheet.  The goal is to enjoy no more than 1 sweet per day and exercise 5 days per week.  If one of us eats more sweets than allowed and doesn't exercise as much, then that person is the "loser" and must buy the winner a gift card.  It's very motivating so far!

Japanese eggplant and graffiti cauliflower that I roasted. I heart purple.

Not Jump Rope Queen

I was quite excited and nervous for the G-Fit Jump Rope Competition, since I felt I had a solid chance of not tripping and landing on my face.  The night before (as witnessed by roomie) I had practiced with my invisible jump rope, bounding around the living room.  I was feeling good.  Then, I show up at the big gig at 12:07p ready for action.  I took a couple practice swings with my rope, did some shoulder rolls, and eyed up my time keeper.  Good news? She could run a stopwatch.  Bad news?  She wasn't coherent.  Example:  After what had seemed like 3 hours later and I had been jumping constantly without error, my lovely time keeper mumbled something.  "You're done" was not what she said.  Regardless, I stopped jumping to ask her to repeat her incoherent comment. "You're halfway done!"  Insert eye roll and panic attack here.  Next, I start frantically jumping and pound out another astounding 100+ jumps - no errors.  What could have been a world record of jumps (Laura's World) in 2 minutes, turned out to be 232 jumps instead of at least 250. I should really put "jump rope" on the top of my 26th Birthday Gift List.

Eating Journal:
-oatmeal with granola, dried fruit
-melon salad
-salad with tofu, bulgar wheat pesto patty
-couple bites of cupcake
-wine sampler, bites of seitan sautee
-mongolian BBQ (broccoli, onions, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, baby corn, udon noodles, chili sauce), froyo

Exercise Journal:
-20 min walk
-jumped rope 232 times in 2 minutes (decent)
-1 hour Zumba dance class

Laura's Youth Hostel

I love when people come to visit.  My team thinks I'm running a hostel and that I should start charging my guests/night.  The apartment rarely has vacancies, so I suggest booking far in advance.  (Note: my favorite gifts are chocolate, fresh veggies, wine, and dish-ware from Anthropologie.)
Here is my 2010 registry so far:
January - 1 guest for whole month, 1 guest for 1 week
February - 1 guest
March - 1 guest (4 visitors)
April - 1 guest (3 visitors)
May - 2 guests
June - 2 guests (2 visitors)
July - 2 guests
Future:
August - 1 guest
September - 1 guest
My August guest wants to be vegan with me while she's here!  Look for future posts on how I wooed her with scrumptious vegan meals.


Eating Journal:
-Gravenstein apple
-kashi cereal with banana and rice milk
-(amount not as large as description seems - see pic) Curried Coconut Spiced Zucchini over brown Basmati Rice with Berry Chutney, Portabello and Wild Rice Pancakes with Grilled Scallions, Sugar Snaps with Roasted Peppers, Organic Rye Berry-Lentil Pilaf, Green Millet Pilaf, tofu chocolate pudding with berries
-dark chocolate, raisins
-orange with Blue Moon
-leftover pasta salad (with carrots, peppers, cucumber, scallions, Italian dressing), 2 corn on cob

Exercise Journal:
-13.4 miles biked to/from work
-15 min bike ride to meeting
-20 min vacuumed/cleaned apartment

Thoughts on running

Things I'd rather do than run:  DDR, hike, bike, yoga, dance, vacuum, ride mechanical bull, jump rope, swim, haul furniture.  My body doesn't like to be battered and damaged and jarred.  I'd prefer to have decently-working knees until I'm 102.

Eating Journal:
-watermelon
-oatmeal with granola, raisins, flaxseed
-Shredded Summer Squash Mole over Baked Polenta with Avocado Tomatillo Salsa, Green and Wax Beans with Shallots, millet salad, mini vegan choco chip/cherry cookie
-dark chocolate
-mini veggie sandwich
-cookie dough ice cream (I clearly have a sugar addiction.)


Exercise Journal:
-15 min walk
-15 min bike ride
-1 hour Zumba dance class

One of my Great Danes: Mikkel

Eating Journal:
-oatmeal with granola, flaxseed, raisins
-green grapes
-mini grilled veggie wrap, salad
-dark chocolate
-veggie sandwich, brie and crackers, red wine

Ok, I don't want to track my input for a couple days.  My Danish friend Mikkel is in town, so I'm busy playing "Hostess with the Mostest" and don't have time to record all my eating activity (and there is usually a lot).  sigh.

Phyto attacks!

This is not your dog Fido.  This is the attack of the phyto-estrogens!  They are in all kinds of grains, fruits, seeds, beans, and herbs that you ingest every day.
Is that bad?  Not necessarily.  Like I mentioned yesterday, use everything in moderation and you'll probably be good to go. 
What are phytoestrogens?  They're chemicals in plants that mimic the effects of estrogen.
Any foods I should avoid?  The verdict is still out on whether high dosages of phytoestrogens are good or bad for you.  They've been used throughout history to alleviate menstrual and menopausal symptoms.  Foods especially high in phytoestrogens are soy and seeds, like flax.  I eat at least 2Tbsp of flaxseed a day.
Is it good for you?  Some have found phytoestrogens can reduce your risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Read more:
http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/phytoestrogen.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoestrogens
http://www.nobreastcyst.com/phyto.html


Eating Journal:
-oatmeal with raisins, granola, flaxseed
-quinoa cake with avocado/corn salsa, spanish brown rice, braised kale
-Strauss ice cream, chocolates
-leftover Patxi's pizza slice
-brownies made with pumpkin (not as good as I had hoped)

Exercise Journal:
-25 min strength training & stretching
-15 min walk after lunch
-cleaned apartment and scrubbed the grill

The perils of lavender?

When a medical friend of mine commented that lavender affects estrogen levels, I laughed and balked at the idea.  Lavender is widely used and easily recommended for relaxation & other medicinal benefits and is an added scent in everything from detergent to hand creme to perfumed hangers.  How could lavender be harmful to me? 
Long story short:  basically there were a couple cases of young boys who excessively used lavender and tea-tree oil products developing "breast swelling" due to excess estrogen blocking androgens. Related article.
Lesson learned: use everything in moderation.  Don't douse yourself in lavender oil.  Don't eat soy foods all day every day.  Don't eat that 3rd - 4th - 5th serving of ice cream.  LAURA - PUT THE ICE CREAM DOWN!

Eating Journal:
-oatmeal with flaxseed, granola
-sauteed veggies, chimichurri tofu, curried brown rice, vegan peach cobbler
-dark chocolate, mini cupcake
-sandwich on wheat bread with sprouts, tomatoes, grilled zucchini, mustard, grilled mushrooms, lettuce, hummus
-1 beer

Exercise Journal:
-13.4 miles biking to/from work
-7 minute bike ride back from lunch :-)

giddy up!

Time for this lil cowgirl to get back on the horse.  Vacation is over (sob), summer is in full swing, and I have a birthday creeping up on me.  I want to look and feel great!  Well, I guess those aren't really good reasons, but do I really need a reason to feel healthy and great??

Eating Journal:
-mix of grainy cereals, rice milk, banana
-salad with tofu, mushrooms, cucumbers, tomatoes, quinoa
-dark chocolate
-mushroom/tofu broth, garbanzo bean stew, braised chard, spinach salad
-Miyo froyo

Exercise Journal:
-15 min run/walk
-1 hr cardio dance class

90% Vegan - 10% Sweet Tooth

I'm baaaaaaaaaack!  You missed me, don't deny it.

My trip home to WI:
-lots of fun family and friend times
-lounging and playing at cottage in Three Lakes, WI
-drinking wine, beer, and bloody mary's...I AM SCONNIE.
-first concert at Alpine Valley to tailgate and see DMB (see pic)
-magazine interview and photo shoot (think awkward senior photos)
-many vegan meals that won favor with meat-lovin Gramanns (all entrees can have an added meat component if requested):

• seitan fajitas with peppers, zucchini, onions, salsa, guacamole
• grilled portobello mushroom burgers (marinated in balsamic and EVOO) with avocado, caramelized onions, spinach, tomatoes, mustard, accompanied by garlic sweet potato fries
• tacos/nachos with black beans, guacamole, salsa, lettuce, diced peppers/tomatoes/onion
• veggie shish kebabs containing ciopinno onions, green & red peppers, red onions, mushrooms, pineapple
• grilled veggies - eggplant, zucchini, asparagus, corn
• Side: black bean quinoa salad (recipe)
• Side: brown rice candy (as Momma calls it) use butter alternative (recipe)
• Snack: spicy hummus with cucumbers and rice chips

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by my immediate and extended family's warm reception to vegan foods!  They withheld criticism and seemed fairly open-minded and supportive.  I felt very encouraged.  Any tidbit of knowledge I can impart on them to make them healthier, makes me feel so thankful (& proud)!  One key to soliciting positive reviews of vegan foods is to tell the person AFTER they've sampled the food.  :-)

While I gently pushed my vegan agenda, I was also a food-loving Sconnie who had to sample some non-vegan treats.  I had a bite of fried fish, 2 bites of elk steak, 1 bite of a brat, rhubarb crisp (Momma converted half the ingredients to vegan instead of full-fledged heart attack), and 5 servings of ice cream - yeah I said 5. Get over it.  I did.
I need to keep reminding myself that progress is progress.  90% vegan is still better than any lifestyle in my past.  Better for my body, better for the earth, better for my overall well-being.

Need a laugh? 

Myq Kaplan Stand-Up Comedy from Myq Kaplan on Vimeo.

Sista visits

All felt right with the world again. My sis was back in CA with me!  We went to work together, hiked, ran, wine-tasted, shopped, and sang.  We're even taking several of the same supplements recommended by our nutritionist.  Peas in a pod.

Friday Eating Journal:
8:15 - oatmeal
9:30 - cherries
12:30 - salad, curried rice
2:30 - dark chocolate
3:30 - nori strips
6:00 - garlic sweet potato fries, beer, portobello and veggie sandwich

To save money and be healthy on our travel Sunday, we picked up some provisions at Trader Joes and made pita sandwiches.  The nice man at the Santa Rosa Farmers Market gave us free wheat pitas, so we felt inspired to make delicious pita pockets.  Additionally, I was excited to use my first roma tomatoes of the season!  We slathered on some spicy jalepeno/roasted red pepper hummus, shoved in some avocado, sliced cucumbers, micro-greens, and then sis sprinkled some goat cheese on hers.  They were fantastic.  Plus, they saved us from buying two $8 sandwiches for airport lunch and dinner.

My quick trip to NYC has ended, so I head back to SFO - again.

We're back in business

You may have noticed that my blog posts have appeared a little bland lately.  Well, I accidentally smashed my beautiful Nexus One phone on the bike trail last week and had to send it to HTC for repairs.  I'm happy to report that it's back in my hands after 3 days of separation.  Let the colorful photos continue...

Eating Journal
10:00 - Kashi cereal with banana and soy milk
12:30 - salad, curried veggies and dahl, sauteed pea greens
4:30 - granola, Tcho dark chocolate
6:00 - 1/2 veggie sandwich with avocado, cucumber, roasted red pepper
8:00 - brownie bite

30 West

If you really know me, it's clear that I need to be the center of attention. Riiiiiiiiiiiiight.
In my metaphorical role in life's show, I'm pleased if I just get on the Playbill for helping make the props, while the lead is collecting rose bouquets on stage.  Basically, I'm a behind-the-scenes girl.  So when my sister and I were asked to be featured in a newly launched WI magazine called 30 West, I had my reservations.  This is just the added encouragement I need to tone up a bit for our photo shoot for our "Google Sisters" feature.  If it's not a total disaster, you may find it in the newsstands of your nearest Piggly Wiggly this Fall. Get excited!

Eating Journal
8:45 - blackberries
9:30 - oatmeal
11:00 - cherries
12:30 - brown rice with curried veggies, roasted kohlrabi, salad
1:30 - Dairy Queen ice cream cake (I was in 6th grade again - amazing)
4:30 - handful of granola
8:30 - 2 pieces of Paxti's Chicago-style pizza (wheat crust, onions, mushrooms, no cheese), Hoegaarden beer

Namaste

My yoga class this morning greatly parallels my current life struggle.  The battle of my mind versus my body.  In some twisted version of the "chair" pose, my legs were on fire and screaming at me to knock it off.  My mind yelled back, "I can't give up now! The class will see me fail and think that I don't have what it takes to be a yogi!"  Mind won.  Parallel struggle: my body craves sugar!  My mind shouts the Kate Moss mantra, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." ha!  Too bad my body wins that battle much of the time...probably because it thinks Kate Moss is pathetic and not worth listening to.  Ideas for a new mantra?

Eating Journal
7:15 - blackberries
9:30 - oatmeal
12:15 - 3 strawberries and 4 grapes
1:30 - white beans, tofu, barley, mixed fruit, beets, salad
4:00 - handful of granola
7:00 - roasted beets and radishes

I forgive you

It turns out that I'm my worst critic.  (Although I could've sworn it was my manager..."You're an evil plant murderer!" "You're going to let Jen get away with that? You're too nice! Negotiate harder! I'm unimpressed.")  Even when I'm healthy and doing good things 90% of the time, I still harp on myself for that 10% that falters.  Although I'm struggling with being at peace with who I am right now, I'm slowly learning to tell myself, "I forgive you. And, by the way, you're hot."

Related blog posts:
"Banish self doubt and unleash your awesomeness"
"Accepting imperfection is only half the battle"


Eating Journal
9:00 - oatmeal with flax seed, raisins and dried blueberries, cinnamon, granola
10:30 - cherries
12:00 - seitan carraccio, roasted broccolini, salad
3:15 - grapes
5:00- mini wrap (red lentils and greens and mustard in whole wheat tortilla)
7:30 - babaganoush with pita
9:00 - blackberries

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world."
-my man John Muir

Laura is MIA.

What have I been up to if I'm too busy to blog?
hiking, eating, bowling...the usual.

My new favorite phrase: "dirt candy."  Courtesy of a NYC restaurant focused on veggies!

I'm still not blogging from NYC

For real.

Ok, I'm a broken record: NYC HAS THE BEST FOOD IN THE WORLD.  And they have the best collection of vegan restaurants ever recorded (that's your Laura fact of the day).  Check out this site that rates each restaurant based on vegan-ness!  It guided me to "Caravan of Dreams" in the East Village - score!  I enjoyed the Live Sampler - everything was fresh, vegan, and raw (flax chips, avocado, mango, jicima, daikon, greens with lemon-basil dressing, and stuffed tomatoes).  Kathleen was a brave and supportive friend, and she ended up really liking her sweet potato ravioli with nut cream.
Then we braved the windy, chilly, rainy streets of "alphabet city" and sought out Lula's Sweet Apothecary, which is pretty much the only vegan ice cream parlor I've ever heard of.  And. It. Was. GLORIOUS.  Everything is vegan - even the toppings - and they make all the ice creams from cashew cream (they make on site) or coconut milk or a combo of the two.  It tasted like the most amazing creamy decadent ice cream ever.  The peanut butter fudge was seriously heaven on a Wednesday.  Another perk of this place (man this non-blog-post is really turning into a Yelp review), was the old-fashioned radio music floating around the tiny parlor; it reminded me of the AM radio station that Grandpa plays in the barn.  Classy.

I'm not blogging from NYC

Yup, here I am, not blogging from NYC.  I'm not blogging from NYC.   I'm too busy to blog from NYC.  I'm here on business and do not have any time to blog or keep a food journal.  Don't cry.  I'll be back in CA on Wednesday - or Thursday.  We'll see how busy I am not blogging that maybe I can go home when planned.

-Laura, signing off from my non-blog-post.

Baby update

My babies are growing up so fast!  The roma tomatoes (on the store-bought plant) are beginning to turn red, and my Early Girl tomato plant (grown from a seed!) has its first baby tomato and many flowers on it.  The basil in the office is doing great and the basil outside is deciding to turn it's life around - for the better.  I'm starting over on some onion, green pepper, and rosemary seeds.
I knew you were dying for an update.

10:00 - banana with peanut butter, blueberries
12:45 - lelftover stir fry with tempeh, green beans, snap peas, mushrooms, kelp noodles, broccoli
2:00 - roasted sweet potatoes and plantain
4:30 - roasted beets, handful of cereal
6:30 - roasted cauliflower and carrots, 5 Kashi wheat crackers
7:15 - nori strips
8:00 - peanut butter - straight up

Knowledge is power

After taking Nutritional Science 101 in college, I never thought I'd have to read another nutri sci book again.  I'm usually not hard-core-science minded, which is why I took the business route so far in life.  But apparently, I have a nerdy science side of me begging to be unearthed!  If you were to look at my Mountain View Library check-out history or my blog roll or who I follow on Twitter, you would find a geeky crunchy granola.  And you would want to be best friends with her.  And you'd want her to be your Health Coach.

So what sorts of topics am I reading in my spare time?  Well, besides the Twilight series books, I'm learning about phytoestrogens, bio-availability of calcium for absorption, the effects of pasteurization on enzymes, and the strong correlation between animal protein intake and cancer risk.  Yes, you definitely want to hang out with me.

9:30 - blueberries
11:30 - banana with peanut butter
1:45 - roasted beets, cauliflower, and carrots
2:30 - sweet potato chips
4:15 - dry Kashi cereal
7:00 - mixed greens with sandwich (avocado, tomato, cucumber, sprouts, red onions & dijon on ciabatta bread), glass of red wine
10:00 - almonds

biking = hungry!

8:00 - blueberries
9:15 - blueberry/mango/pineapple/orange smoothie, grapes, oatmeal
12:00 - spinach tortilla with white bean hummus, portobello, basil, peppers
12:45 - soba noodles with mushroom and asparagus; golden beets and arugula salad, bok choy and radish stir fry
4:00 - granola
5:00 - black lentils and greens wrapped in wheat tortilla with mustard
6:30 - apple
8:00 - roasted cauliflower, carrots, and beets; saltines

Skin report

I would like to report that my "facialist" thinks my face looks so much better since I started taking supplements!  I'm pleased.

8:15 - blueberries
9:00 - oatmeal with flax seed, cinnamon, granola, raisins
12:15 - black and white beans, rice, salsa, guacamole, chips
1:00 - mini Soy Delicious ice cream sandwich
4:30 - carrot
5:30 - roasted carrots, green cauliflower, beets
6:30 - 1T peanut butter

Grazing

I love snacking.  Thankfully, I've been choosing decent snacks lately - last week when I was stressed I was a magnet for chocolate.  It is OK to graze all day, as long as they're little portions and healthy.  However, I need to become more comfortable with feeling hunger - it's allowed.
Can I brag about how colorful my diet is?  May I?  Please??

8:00 - blueberries
8:30 - oatmeal with flaxseed, granola, raisins, cinnamon
11:15 - bbq chips
1:00 - roasted beets, zucchini, white beans, carrots, peas, linguini, wheat pita chip with cucumber, watercress
3:30 - pomegranate red tea with goji berry HonesTea
4:45 - apple
5:30 - carrot, leftover stir fry
7:00 - lots of watermelon (it's been awhile), pretzels

Super Food - to the rescue!

As you've noticed, I've taken a liking to chia seeds.  They are the latest and greatest "super food" to hit the mainstream market, and they are a great addition to banana ice cream.  Thanks for sharing this article, Becky!
Chia seeds are very rich in omega-3 fatty acids and also provide soluble fiber, calcium, magnesium, antioxidants and other nutrients. The soluble fiber helps slow digestion so your blood sugar remains more stable after eating and you feel fuller longer.

9:15 - oatmeal with flax, golden raisins, granola, cinnamon, almonds

12:15 - Asian Wrap (Enoki Mushrooms, Butter Lettuce, Shredded Carrots, Mung Bean Sprouts, Sweet Miso Vinaigrette), roasted broccoli, sauteed kale/onions/raisins

1:15 - cabbage, black lentils 

5:30 - sweet potato chips

6:30 - leftover stir fry

10:45 - carrot

So necessary!

This weekend has been amazing.  It's been a great blend of relaxation and productivity.  Many hours were spent sleeping, reading Eclipse, watching Arrested Development and movies, shopping, hiking (view from Edgewood County Park above), working, and cleaning.  Although I didn't get to tackle everything on my massive "To-Do List," I got plenty done and am not completely dreading the upcoming 4-day week.  Can someone attempt to explain to me why we don't have 3-day weekends EVERY week?

9:45 - nectarine, granola bar
1:45 - cherries, stir fry (tempeh, kelp noodles, green beans, snap peas, mushrooms, broccoli, bok choy, garlic, ginger, chili sauce, peanut butter)
5:15 - kashi cereal
7:30 - banana ice cream with dark chocolate, cacao nibs, chia seeds, peanut butter, cinnamon, heath bits
8:00 - more dry cereal

Rainbow

My loot from the farmers market could've represented every color in the rainbow if only I had purchased the fresh blueberries (I already have some).  Check out the size of the beets!  They're the size of the head of green cauliflower.  Dinner this week? I'm thinking stir fry with brown rice, tempeh, and kelp noodles.

10:45 - smoothie (banana, apple, carrot, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, flax seed & flax oil)
2:30 - ants on a log, strawberries, cherries
4:15 - nectarine
7:00 - cherries
8:45 - same smoothie as AM
9:30 - Kashi cereal