Food(less) Journey

I'm Back Internet!! That is still the most commonly asked question I hear when people find out I'm a plant based foodie. The simple answer to that question is "Food. Specifically plant based foods". But the concept of a food being "plant based" is somewhat foreign to the American Public. And that's okay. Each one teach one. A plant based diet excludes eggs, meat and dairy, but includes everything else. Fruit, vegetables, and grains in all their marvelous varieties. I could tell you what I eat, but isn't it easier to show rather than tell? So, here are a few of my recent meals. Most of my meals have been eaten at home lately, but the last four items are at local non plant based restaurants. Pittsburgh is secretly a veg based paradise. The items I show aren't even at one of the many vegan exclusive restaurants in the area. But enough chatting..... Sanoma Gluten Free Flatbreads Dairy Free Fire Roasted Veggie Pizza Van's G...

Healthful eating tips. It's not rocket science, but it helps a ton and saves the dough you need for more important things like.... Avalon's Thrift Shop $1 sale! And going on month long missionary trips in Italy. :-) Eat more whole (unprocessed) foods. Think outside of the box. Literally! If it's not in it's "whole" state then it's processed. I'm not saying you can never eat, but choose the whole (a baked potato with fixings) over the part or the processed (fries, mashed potatoes) and you will likely be getting something more nutrient dense and filling with less calories. Eating healthy does not have to break the bank account . If it's out of your budget (protein powder) then buy something else (tempeh, tofu, quinoa) or the cheaper version( dry beans vs. more expensive (albeit convenient) canned beans). If you'd like to expand your health food repertoire, don't go buy a whole bag of it. Get a small amount from the bulk foods se...

As soon as it snows it is officially pancake season! Yay! Oh wait.... It is ALWAYS pancake season! Triple yay! Just looking at pictures of pancakes makes me want some! Look: Topped with some melty peanut butter and Tastefully Simple blueberry burgundy jam. Oh the benefits of living with a consultant! Whoever thought it was a good idea to combine blueberries and burgundy wine is a complete genius! Get. It. I ate half this jar for research purposes only! *cough* moving on.... Whole Foods dinner..... What is it with shopping for food that makes me too tired to cook? So I didn't even try to fight. Stuffed faux turkey with olive oil mashed potato and faro stuffing. Oh that farro stuffing is so creamy and delicious. steamy That fabulous Italian store Merante Brothers Market in Washington county  still sells the sundried tomato risotto. And my family was nice enough to bring me some when they went there. What sweeties! I made some for lunch tod...

Where do you go to shop (and maybe unwind or decompress)? There are a couple of places I unwind shop at. Fridays are a great day for this because... Do you really need reasons why its great to unwind on Friday?   Oh. Okay. Well one reason is many get paid on Friday. So you know exactly what you have to work with cash wise. I head out shopping with a budget in mind. Spending too much will add stress not decrease it....     Gourmet food deals abound at Home Goods. Coconut butter for $6!!!!  (regularly $12, but now that I know the Maranatha is always $6 at Walmart I want to give that brand a go) On a recent trip, I also bought some dehydrated orange slice which you eat peel and all. Yay vitamin C!   And another perk of Home Goods is that it's right near.... Be still my heart ... I'm not even going to describe the great fun of window shopping at IKEA. You can wander around and pretend you live in the display....

Friday: Here is the yumminess I had for lunch. Seriously tasty new item in Trader Joes. There are 4 in the box with a coconut chutney (for only 1.99!). I had one at work and ate the other 3 when I got home. These were seriously yum. I have to go buy some before Joe stops selling them ( I love you Joe, but you are kind of fickle sometimes..I still havent gotten over the Wonton Chips Incident) Friday evening I went to the Tasting event at Whole Foods. No pics cuz too busy stuffing my face with free samples of cranberry orange relish, tofurkey and stuffing, quinoa wild rice pecan stuffing, and roasted seasonal vegatables.  jewelry for sale  Saturday: lovely morning of service,then to the craft show and directly on to the "Spiritual Goals" program where I was interviewed and "sang" a Kingdom song in sign language   cards for sale awesome tower on fall drive Sunday: Woke up to study Watchtower. Wonderful lesson! To meeting and then on a f...

It's hat season! Yay! I think my hair looks so pretty under that hat. Why can't it always look like that?  Here's the detail on the side of the hat. Cute, no? And now for a creepy close up... Yikes! A face only a mother could love. Unless you have my mother. She still makes me wear a brown paper bag at the dinner table. Don't feel bad for me because at least now im allowed to poke holes in the bag so i can see my plate... Okay thats not true. Last time I ate dinner with my family it was not around a table. And my mom is super nice! Too nice if you ask me! Enough with the fashion. Where's the food? Isn't this a food blog?   Oh there it is! This was lunch. Very delicious for no real reason. I made two different dishes: ~~~ Whole Foods Greens (frozen kale, collard, and mustard greens) Mix with Italian vegatables(carrots, yellow squash, zuchini, onion, green beans and red pepper) , canned tomatoes and italian seasoning slo...

An important thing to keep in mind when you are trying to eat healthfully or lose weight is that stress plays a major role in how quickly you can acheive your goal. When under stress the body creates this gnarly substance called cortisol, which does all kinds of terrible things to your body like suppresing your immune system and trapping fat cells. (Ask Mr. Google if you dare!) To counteract the effects of Cortisol on your immune system you can adjust your diet to include antioxidant rich fruits and veggies (think brightly colored ones in the orange red and citrus families like oranges and pomegranates). Stress tends to make us want to rush through things, so slow down if you feel yourself rushing and take a few deep breaths. Especially when eating! Chew your food fully! Your stomach will thank you. Chewing your food until its mush aids in the digestive process. Do you ever feel excessively sluggish after eating? If you didnt fully chew your food your digestive system is stealing your ...

What do you do to beat the heat? While some people have the privilege of turning on the air conditioning as the thermometer rises, I'm not one of those people. But I have my wits about me and love a challenge, so I just determine the best course of action for staying nourished and cool. Go hide at an air conditioned location that allows noshing. When it's so hot I can't concentrate or even fathom the idea of cooking I go hide at Whole Foods. The have a great selection of fresh and prepared foods as well as a hot bar and salad bar. Pictured above is a $1.50 cool down snack. Although Whole Foods is often blamed for emptying bank accounts, it is a great place for a bargain. You just have to look for it. My go to meals are quick stove-top meals. Below is pictured a delicious meal that incorporates canned, frozen and fresh whole foods, which makes this meal quick, filling and nourishing. It's a blend of sauteed fresh zucchini and baby Bella's with canned cannelloni bea...