Book Review: the Top 100 Immunity Boosters by Charlotte Haigh

the Top 100 Immunity Boosters:
100 Recipes to Keep Your Immune System Fighting Fit

The good:
This book was a random Half Price Books find, as well as a Harvard written nutrition book and an actual nutrition textbook.. and my usual addiction; three plus vegan cookbooks.  I liked that it was small and quick, more of a quick digest than a full on nutrition book; but definitely great for anyone who cares less about the technical side of diet and nutrition and is solely looking for easy, breezy information on adding healthier foods into their diet.  This book is even better for people who are looking for specific nutrients, as each are listed with each item, or those looking to eat for a certain condition, as the index in the back shows.  I didn't think I'd learn a lot from this book, but the fun little pop up tips and facts were varied and mostly new information to me.

The bad:
In contrast, if you're looking for an in depth book about nutrition and the chemical reactions and things of that nature, this isn't the book for you.  If you're looking to change to better eating habits and don't have a nutrition background, this book could be a little overwhelming the first or second time you flip through.  To anyone with very basic knowledge on healthy eating and smart food choices, this book will be a fantastic addition to your collection and a quick tool to pull out for recipes and shopping ideas.

Here's an example of the page layout for most of the foods.

The layout:The layout in this book is simple and easy to follow.  It talks about each item, what makes it a immunity boosting food, gives a short list of ingredients, and provides a recipe in a colored box.  Most items are summarized on one page, but certain superfoods are given two pages.  It's cohesive and easy to follow, and the uniform pattern keeps it very fluid.  The items are given a number, as well as the page numbers, would could be confusing to some, but shows that you are literally counting through 100 items.  The recipes range from simple to fun and complex.  Several foods note when they are still beneficial cooked.  I would assume most nutrient dense foods are best raw or mostly raw, except where noted otherwise.

Worth it?
Yes.  I got it for just pennies under $5, and know you can find it used for a similar prices on Amazon.  Even at full price at $9.95, it's a steal for the amount of information and recipes you're getting in a sleek, full color book.  The the recipes seem entirely simple on first glance, some of them are more detailed than you think.  The glossary and ailment directory are also valuable add-ons in the book.

Since I stopped eating raw...

As the holiday season geared up in retail, it became increasingly difficult for me to stay on track with my raw diet.  I started eating more and more processed foods, and more importantly, more and more empty carbs, and specifically wheat.  Although I have not gained much weight (three or four pounds), the main differences I see are constant bloating and my face is broken out SO bad.  I haven't been this broken out in so long.  My face had very nearly cleared up, and now it is worse than ever.

What does this mean?  It means I need to get back on track with eating a primarily raw diet.  If that means keeping my blender bottle and Garden of Life RAW Meal mix in my locker at work again, so be it.  It worked well before, I am happy to do it again.  More importantly, I have a good blender now, so morning smoothies should be easier, but with hitting snooze more than I ever should, it's been harder and harder to get back on track.

Recently, since incorporated cooked, processed foods and wheat back into my diet.

As you can tell by the smoothie in my hand, this was when I was eating a primarily raw, vegan diet.

Mail Time: Graze Box #2!

What's in my box this time!?

LITTLE FIGGY WENT TO THE MARKET:  Figs are not for everyone.  Suuuure, we all like them heavily processed with sugars in the center of a famous fig cookie, but dehydrated or pure?  I like them, buuut, I will admit to not being crazy about the smell.  I don't know what it is, they just have a funny smell to me.  In this little package, dried figs, apples and cranberries are dusted with rice flour (to keep them from sticking, but also adds a touch of sweetness).  It's a delicious combo, and it's packed with carbohydrates to keep you on the move.

BOOSTER SEEDS:  As soon as I saw this in my package, I knew that I wanted to save them.  I just finally got a blender/processor, and have a dehydrator, and have plans to use these to make raw crackers.  It's actually pretty hard to not tear them open and eat them plain because I know how insanely nutrient rich these are, and I have been very ill since Saturday, but I have bigger plans for these babies.. they deserve it.

DARK ROCKY ROAD:  This is awesome.  I am a huge fan of chocolate, I'm not going to lie, so anytime you put chocolate in something, as long as the chocolate is good, the rest will be good to me.  The Belgian dark chocolate buttons melt in your mouth and aren't waxy, and layered with the pecans and cranberries?  Oh, hello heaven.

HABAS TAPAS:  You may have been fooled into thinking I was the most excited about the chocolate in the box this time, but you are wrong, sir.  I love, love, LOVE barbecue anything.  Habas Tapas has jumbo chili corn, roasted corn and chili broad beans.  In my brain, chili and barbecue go hand in hand, so this little package got my taste buds fired up.  The flavor in this is amazing considering the smell would lead you to believe it was going to taste bland.  I can't say I'm crazy about the dried bean texture, but it's sure as heck not keeping me from eating it.

Want to try Graze?  Here's a friend code here, here, and if those are gone, they created a unique code for my readers; BETHSNACK.

Mail Time: Graze Box!

I heard about Graze through the lovely Mo, or as many of you know her, the owner and operator of Madd Style Cosmetics.  Mo & I love sharing our favorite things we find, so I knew if she was mentioning Graze, it had to be amazing.


What's in my box?

TROPICAL DAIQUIRI:  This was bizarre.  The lime was pronounced with each piece you ate, but it wasn't overwhelming.  I'd gladly get this again, but I put them on my try list.

FRUIT & SEED FLAPJACK:  These were better than expected.  I wasn't sure what to expect out of this one, but I was happy when I tried them.  They seem less processed, and more like a snack bar you'd make at home.

BBQ CORN:  This reminded me of corn nuts, without tasting overprocessed and full of fillers.  These were delicious!  These are on my love list.

SOUR CREAM & ONION CASHEWS:  These were pretty good!  Anything that is vegan "dairy" tends to have some sort of artificial flavor, but with these it wasn't distracting.  I love cashews and I haven't had anything sour cream and onion in a decade, so these were a welcome treat.

Want to try Graze?  I have a limited number of friend codes right here to try your first box free!

Edit:  Want to try Graze but all of the codes above were used up?  Graze created a special code just for my readers!  Use code: BETHSNACK

Vegan, Semi-Raw Meal Ideas

I eat try to eat around five 300 calorie meals a day.  Maybe what I meal, you would call a snack.  Either way... here are two examples of what I eat in a meal; both of these are around 300 calories, give or take.

greens mix with Goddess Lite dressing, dehydrated sprouts and jicama;
two kinds of hummus with carrots and corn chips my roommate had, haha.
Total calories: 373; 19g fat; 44g carbs; 12g protein

1/4 c of mixed nuts, freshly ground chocolate almond butter, one apple
I didn't log this, apparently, so I don't have the breakdown.

Workout Pudding Recipe: Chocolate & Coconut

The idea of recovery & workout puddings is something that I learned by reading Branden Brazier's book Thrive.  Although this is a fantastic powerhouse of nutrients and protein, this is also tasty and a good dessert.  The texture will be unusual to anyone not used to eating chia seeds.  There is no photo of this because it looks like chocolate goo.  It's not cute.  The next time I make it, I'll take a picture.  Seriously though, it looks like goo, and you're not missing out by this post not having a picture.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c milk (I used Almond Plus Milk from So Delicious) OR 1/2 cup coconut water
• 2 tbsp Spectrum Decadent Blend Chia & Flax Seed with Coconut & Cocoa
• 1/2 scoop RAW Protein Powder in Chocolate (or any chocolate protein powder)
• 2 tbsp chocolate almond butter (I get mine fresh ground at Whole Foods)

Directions:
Combine half of the milk (or coconut water) with the Spectrum Decadent blend and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Alternatively, you can use a food processor or blender.  I just used a fork & a bowl.  After it has coagulated, add the remaining ingredients & combine until thoroughly blended.

This is a pretty generous portion and could easily be divided into two servings.  This would also be delicious with a banana mashed into it.  Nom!

Nutritional Info (as prepared):
Total Calories:  315
Fat:  20
Carbohydrates:  19
Protein:  19

Hail Merry on sale?!?

I LOVE Hail Merry products.  I have never had one I didn't instantly add to my favorite treats list.  The fact that they're raw, vegan, and made with all good fats means I don't feel guilty treating myself.  I first tried them in a Conscious Box and it was love at first bite, no joke.  I've had them many times since, and even had a tart on my birthday in place of a birthday cake.  Not kidding; I LOVE HAIL MERRY.

And the best news?  They're local to me since I moved to Dallas AND they're on sale right now at my local Whole Foods!  $1 off each?  Heck yes I'll take two!!

Zucchini Jerky!

I bought a dehydrator nearly a week ago and hadn't gotten to use it until last night because of work.  I've never dehydrated anything before, though my mom did have one when I was a kid.  I couldn't decide what to make, but I wanted to start easy.  I was flipping through Rawsomely Vegan! by Mike Snyder, and decided that his Sweet and Spicy Zucchini Jerky was the way to go.  I had some of the ingredients, but I picked up my raw apple cider vinegar (Bragg's brand) & raw agave nectar (Whole Foods 365 Organic brand) at Whole Foods.  I couldn't find lucuma powder anywhere, so I had to skip that, and I think I should have cut down on the oil because of that.  If you don't have Rawsomely Vegan, raw eater or not, you need it!  The recipes are, well.. awesome!

Garden of Life RAW Meal Energy in Yerba Mate!

I get most of my produce and fresh foods at the local supermercado, but Whole Foods is right next to my work, so I frequent it for my specialty items, my bulk foods, and occasionally a slice or two of traditional vegan pizza when I'm feeling naughty.

My few visits ago, I saw containers of a new RAW Protein Energy from Garden of Life in the decompression zone of Whole Foods.  Of course my interest was sparked!  It came in two flavors, Marley Coffee or Guayaki Yerba Mate.  I debated momentarily, but picked up the Yerba Mate for it's lower caffeine and acidity.

But wait.. that says RAW Meal!

What's In My Pantry

People constantly ask me what's in my pantry & what I eat.  Lately, I've been doing a lot of bicycle commuting so I've been more conscientious of my protein and general calorie intake in the morning versus my usual game of skipping breakfast.  I have found that I'm a-ok to drink my breakfast, so I've been pairing a morning protein smoothie with my daily vitamins to fuel up before I hit my bike ride.  It's only 5.5 miles to the nearest train station, but most of that is on the road, and part of that is through terrifying construction.  I'm trying my damnedest to keep up & not be a wuss.  Keep in mind, I'm really not that experienced with bike commuting.  I've casually done it around my college town, but it was never my primary means of transportation and rarely was I seriously on the road.  That's all changed now that I live in White Rock.  I can either take the train, or I can make a ridiculous bus commute.

My morning smoothies have been lacking.  I'm not going to lie, there is a nearly finished tub of Plant Fusion back in Ohio that I dearly, dearly miss and wish had ended up in one of the boxes that came to Texas!  To date, I have not tried any protein powder that I like as much as the kinds I've had from Plant Fusion and Sunwarrior.  Vega is on my list to try, but I just can't presently justify the price tag.

This is pretty much all I have in the pantry, haha.

Top Ten Vegan Sweet Treats

The title is misleading.  It should actually read 22+ vegan sweet treats, but that would be an arguement on semantics and that title doesn't seem nearly as appealing.  Instead, let's call it ten, with alternatives, and two unsolicited bonus suggestions.

This list came about because my friend Jordan and I were recently discussing the qualms of eating too many cookies, especially at inappropriate times like 8am.  She is newly vegan and my casual use of the phrase "Joe Joe's" was lost on her.  Being the smart (and pretty!) cookie that she is, she googled it and saw that there is an even more vegan friendly sandwich cookie than accidentally vegan Oreos.

I then proceeded to promise Jordan that I would do a blog about my top ten vegan friendly, commercially available sugar fixes.  Thinking about the research required for this was grueling, and knowing I'd have to buy one of each for photographing seemed daunting.. how on earth would I ever survive?  =D  [Please note:  photographing these treats never happened.]

This list contains a lot of items from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.  If you are fortunate enough to live near one, you will be relieved to see this.  If you aren't, I will try to offer alternatives where I know of them.  Sadly, even accidentally vegan sweets are becoming harder & harder to come by.  I avoided "candy" in this list because, honestly, I don't eat a lot of it.  I'd rather have a cupcake or a cookie than taffy.  If that's odd, I'm not sorry.

Breakfast!! Success!!

It finally happened! Breakfast!!  I managed to eat this, and with only being a little nauseous, I'm calling this a great success!  Added bonus?  I think this breakfast is totally soy free!

In the bowl:
1/2 c (dry) oats [not instant] & 3/4 c Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Milk
1 medium banana, sliced
1/2 c Amande Plain Yogurt

Directions:Cooked the oats & milk per package instructions.  Let it cool a little, then slice bananas over the top, and spoon on the yogurt.  Enjoy!  It's best in layers; if you mix it together, the yogurt gets hot.. gross.

Nutritional breakdown:
Calories:  380
Carbs:  72g
Fat:  10g
Protein:  9g

posted from Bloggeroid

Mushroom Wrap

I could eat this three meals a day, and it's a great way to use up veggies!  I generally saute whatever I have in the fridge to al dente, put hummus in a wrap, layer on the warm veggies, top with kale, spinach, lettuce.. whatever leafy green I happen to have (in this case, it was baby kale), wrap it up, and demolish it!

This particular wrap has red pepper hummus, sauteed baby portobellos, mini sweet peppers, and kale.  Two of these are only 288 calories, with 47g of carbohydrates, 5g of fat, 13g of protein.

posted from Bloggeroid

Dinner!!

This is delicious.  The "burger" is a Simple Truth Meatless Crispy Patty on a sandwich thin with lettuce and cherry barbecue sauce.  The fries were new to us, and more of a formed/pressed potato product.  The sprouts are Jennifer McCann's Best Brussel Sprouts recipe from Vegan Lunchbox.  All together, it was 592 calories, 75g of carbs, 26g of fat, 24g of protein.  Kind of a high cal meal, and I definitely could have made better potato choices, but tasty and indulgent nonetheless.  =]

posted from Bloggeroid

Chili gone wild!

Clancy's chili is in the monster tupperware container at the bottom.
I've already eaten two servings of mine...

Clancy and I are busy people who like to eat tasty food on the cheap and on the fly. Hence, large quantities of chili being cooked at once. But here's the thing.. there are TWO kinds of chili here. We started off with very similar base recipes, but he added sausage (like, real sausage, from a pig) and I certainly didn't. Different strokes for different folks, and YES, vegans can happily co-exist.

And by the way?  This chili is a vegan protein powerhouse.  You're welcome.  =]

Ingredients for my chili:

• 2 cans of chili ready diced tomatoes (or just diced tomatoes, adjust your spices accordingly)
• 1 can golden sweet corn
• 1 can dark red kidney beans*
• 1 can black beans*
• 1 pkg Tofurkey Ground Beef Style
• 3 mini sweet peppers (or 1-2 bell peppers), diced
• yellow onion (I used up what I had left in the fridge, I recommend 1/2-1 medium onion), diced
• Season to taste (cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, chili powder, garlic, etc)

Directions:
Pour all of your canned ingredients into your crock pot and put it on high.  In a nonstick pan over medium high heat, saute your onions and peppers in your oil until your onions are starting to go translucent.  Add your "beef" and continue sauting for about five minutes per package instructions.  Stir your "beef" into your chili.  Let your ingredients cook for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally, and adding water as needed.  Bump it down to low, and let it simmer as long as you see fit (chili tends to simmer all day & night around our house).  Enjoy with homemade biscuits and peanut butter sammiches!

Nutritional info (serves 8?):
Calories:  229k
Fat:  4g
Carbohydrates:  37g
Protein:  14g

* = feel free to use whatever beans you like!  It's your chili!

posted from Bloggeroid

Breakfast!!

I made myself eat today!  I was up early enough that I had enough time to get hungry, versus the usual nausea I get in the mornings.  And before anyone asks, no, I'm not pregnant (unless I've been pregnant my whole life, ha).

In the photo:
1c Kroger Corn Flakes
1 medium banana
1/2c 365 Organic Vanilla Soymilk
1c Folger's Medium Roast Coffee
2tsp bulk sugar
splash of Soymilk in the coffee

Nutritional info:
Calories: 284k
Fat:  2g
Carbohydrates:  69g
Protein:  7g

posted from Bloggeroid

Quick! Who has Vegan cream cheese?!

I saw this recipe on a facebook group, and immediately thought.. "Oh, I have to veganize that!" I don't have any vegan cream cheese in my house right now though!

Photo from: http://www.facebook.com/BKrecipesHomeandGarden

Presents.

I came home yesterday to a bicycle for each of us, vegan ice cream (& even my favorite flavor/kind), and new tupperware!! I dare say he loves me!

posted from Bloggeroid

Swedish meatballs, vegan style.

This is one of my all time comfort foods.  Whenever one of us is sick, or really stressed out, Clancy will whip this up and have it ready when I come home.  He knows it will always put me in a good mood, and is one of my favorite meals.  He wanted to make a mushroom gravy (my favorite), but I used them all for the baked polenta topping the other night.

I have no idea how many calories this has, and I don't care.
You have to treat yourself now and again, or what's the point?

We don't get to eat a relaxed dinner together often, so this combined with one of my favorite comfort meals put me right at ease.  I love that man something fierce.

How to make it?  We are usually eating on the fly so we tend to make things like mashed potatoes ahead of time and buy frozen Meatless Meatballs from trader joes... Only the gravy ends up being made fresh, haha.  I honestly don't know how to make it... Clancy always does the gravy.

Breakfast, maybe?

I recently posted that I'm not much of a breakfast (or morning) person, and often struggle with eating before noon.  Lately I've been finding solutions and experimenting with eating light breakfasts, versus just not eating.  The other morning I had half of a whole wheat bagel with almond butter on it (115k, 28g carbs, 10g fat, 11g protein) and that sat pretty well, despite it being an epic battle to eat it.  Things just taste funny that early, like my body is warning me, "Hey.. you eat that, you're going to be sorry."  Sometimes I'll just have "yogurt", which tends to always sit well, or some fruit.  Yesterday, I was brave.

Ingredients(?):
3/4 cup Cocoa Snapz
1/2 Simple Truth Unsweetened Almondmilk
1 medium banana, sliced (I always slice right off of the banana, then eat the leftovers)

Directions (ha):
Measure and pour your cereal into a bowl.  Grab your banana, and while still partially in peel, work your way down it, cutting it into slices over your cereal.  When you have enough banana, eat what's left in the peel.  Measure and pour on your milk.  Enjoy!  =D

Nutritional facts (serves one):
Total Calories:  140k
Carbohydrates:  27g
Fat:  3g
Protein:  2g

Serious eater.

You know you're serious about your food when you have to pull your hair back before you begin eating, hahaha.  Here I'm eating baked Polenta with a topping featuring mushrooms, tomato, spinach, peppers and onion. Yum!

posted from Bloggeroid

Healthy Snacking: Hummus & Veggies

Hummus is an amazing snack food.  The main problem I found with hummus is that eating it with salty pita chips is almost an addicting snack that I can't seem to stop eating.  Nearly 400 calories later, I have to MAKE myself close the bag & walk away.  Solution?

Ingredients:
2-4 tablespoons of hummus (60-200 calories, depending on brand & type)
3.5 mini sweet peppers (40 calories)
1/2 cups broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 large carrot, cut into dipping pieces

Nutritional facts (serves 1; I ate it all!):
Calories:  145k
Fat:  4g
Carbohydrates:  22g
Protein:  5g

My Usual Breakfast.

This is how I start most of my days.

I have never been a morning person.  I've definitely never been a breakfast person.  As a matter of fact, I'm lucky if I can choke down a piece of fruit in the morning without feeling like crap.  Instead, I tend to drink some sort of tea or coffee (though even teas can be dangerous) and hit the ground running on empty.  As such, I've started putting my protein powder into my morning drink on the days that I can't make myself eat.  This isn't really much of a meal replacement, as I don't think my energy drink is meant to have any sort of satiety satisfying ingredients, but it works for me.

Ingredients:
12-14 ounces of coffee (cooled is best; mine is usually left over from Clancy's pot before his midnight shift)
4 ounces "milk" (don't use creamer, you'll go through it way too quickly & it'll be crazy sweet)
1 scoop Plant Fusion Vanilla Bean Protein Powder*

Directions:
Shake well.  The Blender Bottle does all of the work.

Nutritional facts (one serving; drink it all!):
Calories:  200k
Fat:  5g
Carbohydrates:  20g
Protein:  22g

* = I used Plant Fusion Vanilla Bean Protein Powder because it tastes amazing in coffee.  I recommend using a flavored powder to give it more of a latte/mocha texture and flavor, versus a plain, unflavored powder.

Plant Fusion's PR department sent me this 2 pound tub of their Vanilla Bean flavor for consideration.  This does not change my opinion of the product, and I reserve the right to my honest opinion.  Thank you to P.F.!

Pasta yum!

Clancy's dinner will not be vegan friendly this evening, so I made this for myself. It's pasta with a sauce of sorts (onion, mushroom, diced tomatoes, spices, a splash of soy) topped with Parma! vegan parmesan.

posted from Bloggeroid

Modified Vegan Brownies!

I found the Sarah Kramer How It All Vegan brownie recipe online (because my book has gone MIA in the move) & made some modifications to suit my diet and pantry.  Can I just say that I am insanely excited to use the Calphalon pan that Clancy bought me?!

Ingredients:
1.5 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 scoop protein powder (I used Plant Fusion Vanilla Bean which is sweet, and has smooth texture)
1.5 cups soy milk (or other "milk")
1/3 cup oil/butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread, just to melting point)
1/4 cup confectioners sugar (optional; for topping)

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl sift flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, protein powder and salt. Add oil and soy milk. Stir gently until just mixed. Pour into 8X8 inch pan and cook for 30-35 minutes. (Check by inserting a toothpick).  Allow to cool completely, then sift confectioners sugar over top.

Nutritional facts (per brownie; serves 12):
Calories:  163
Fat: 6g
Carbs: 24g
Protein: 5g

Fronch Toast!

I was going to make this for dinner last night, but Clancy wasn't hungry when he got up for work (3am).  That means I had breakfast all prepped and ready to go for me!  =D  I was impatient and didn't let them soak long enough before frying them though, so they turned out more chewy than last nights test run.  Boo!

I'm guessing that there is probably 400 calories in this meal (with my morning coffee), but I'm not sure because I don't feel like loading everything into myfitnesspal.  It's mostly carbs, and that's what I need this morning; raw fuel!  Now to hit the ground running!

Here are the original ingredients, from theppk.com:
Loaf of Italian or French bread, baguette shaped, preferably stale
1/2 cup soy creamer (rice or soy milk would make a good substitute, preferably rice)
1/2 cup rice milk or plain soy milk
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 cup chickpea flower
Several tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

But in my infinite wisdom, I had to make several substitutions due to my poor planning.  I only had whole wheat flour in the house, and no non-dairy creamer at all (I just used a full cup of vanilla soy milk).

Easy Cupcakes with Protein Icing

Ingredients:
1 box of vegan cake mix (I used a chocolate fudge cake mix)
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
30-35g (one serving) of protein powder*

Mix your cake mix & pumpkin together and bake according to box directions.  Cool completely before you try to ice them.

For the icing, mix one serving of protein powder with 3-6+ tablespoons of water.  You will have to adjust this according to what type of protein powder you have.  Flavored protein powder is best - they tend to already have a zero calorie sweetener in them, and don't usually taste too.. grain-y.

Makes 24 cupcakes.
91 calories each.  16 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein (80:10:10).

Testing tonight's dinner.

Can you even see the baked potato under that mountain of crock pot vegan chili? The only way this could get better is with vegan cheese!

posted from Bloggeroid

Ice cream for dinner?!

These are my micros so far today... I already logged my lunch and dinner. So this means I can have ice cream for dinner!? Hahaha, I'm kidding.. Though a coconut based ice cream would have some good fats in it...

posted from Bloggeroid

Easy meal idea.

This is actually combined leftover elements from last night's meal. This is a hearty serving of barley and veggies (trader joe's organic foursome); only 320 calories and barley is a slow burning carb.. Supposedly. Ha. I'm reading a lot about carb and proteins and.. there is so much conflicting information.

posted from Bloggeroid

You know you're vegan when...

You eat greens straight out of the bag like they're popcorn or chips. Normal?

posted from Bloggeroid

Mail Time: Conscious Box January!

This is the second month in a row that I was sent the wrong Conscious Box.  Total bummer, as a couple of the things I was excited to try aren't vegan.  I passed them along to a good home, but it still bummed me out.  Oh well, I've decided to cancel after this month anyways.

This month's box was curated by famous fitness trainer Joel Harper.  You can learn about him on his website, JoelHarperFitness.com.  The nice thing about a fitness trainer curating the box?  Lots of healthy snacks that I don't feel guilty eating!

Marinating.

If you think tofu and vegetables can't be flavorful, you clearly don't know how to cook.

posted from Bloggeroid

Gravy fiend.

I have serious obsession with gravy, and Clancy makes the best mushroom gravy I've ever had.. I could probably drink it, sadly.

posted from Bloggeroid

Winterized

Trader joe's minestrone and their artisan bread.

posted from Bloggeroid

Little Taste of Asia

This all came from trader joe's. Japanese style rice, vegetable dumplings, and teriyaki sauce. So. Good.

posted from Bloggeroid

Blender Bottle Pancakes

I don't have a real, functional kitchen right now because most of what I need is sitting in a box in my new apartment that I still can't move into. Solution? Culinary genius.

posted from Bloggeroid

Black Bean Brownies

Only 84 cals each!  Carbs: 17g.  Fat: 1g.  Protein:  2g.

posted from Bloggeroid