New Challenge

Lately I have been very unhappy with myself. I have unfortunately and regretfully gained all my weight back. It's very hard to admit but I am very sure people have noticed by looking at me. I have seriously felt like a complete and total failure. So much so that I have been trying to hide from people. I've stopped attending bible study, training, going out, etc. All because I don't want people to see me. Last year people would tell me I was such an inspiration and how proud they were of me. I feel I've let everyone down, including my kids, but most importantly myself.

A lot of my old symptoms are back; shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, etc.
I have had my blood pressure checked a few times and it is up again. That just pisses me off.

I've been watching my family lately and noticed that my husband has gained weight and my oldest son as well, which breaks my heart. Aidyn isn't anywhere near being obese or maybe not even considered over weight yet, but I can tell he's put on some extra pounds that shouldn't be there. I've always made a vow to myself I'd never let my children become over weight. I want them to be strong and heatlhy.

Plus diabetes runs on both my mothers and fathers side of family. My mother has diabetes. I don't want my children to become diabetic.

I've been looking at our diet and seen recently we've been eating a lot of fast food. I think it's due to us being way more busy than we normally are(or should I say I've been more busy than usual, Marc's always been busy lol) and lack of preparation.
Yesterday Marc and I made a pack. We are, starting today, going a whole week of NO fast food. I know, it's just a week, doesn't seem long. But we want to take it one week at a time. Giving up fast food sounds easy, but I know it'll be harder than we think. My ultimate goal is to go a whole month...then hopefully up to a year!! And possibly give it up for good.
If I spend more time on preparing lunches and dinners ahead of time we won't need to depend on fast food places. So that's what I am going to do. :)

If it starts getting tough or tempting, I will post here. I will let y'all know how everything goes.

Pesto Pasta(NOT Vegan)

Ingredients:

1-pkg shell pasta

1lb fresh asparagus, trimmed

2T olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

1/2C basil pesto

1/3C julienned sun dried tomatoes, drained

1/3C diced mozzarella cubes

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package instructions. 

Place asparagus in a single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper on asparagus. Bake in oven for 8-12 minutes or until tender but crisp. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, pesto, asparagus, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella.

Serve immediately.

BBQ Flavored Tofu

Unfortunately I don't have a pic of these but I made bbq flavored tofu tonight for my husband. He will be putting them in sandwiches and making himself a bbq sandwich. :)

This is WAYYYYY too easy to make.

Ingredients:

Extra Firm Tofu(drained)
BBQ Sauce

Instructions:


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.


Line a cooking sheet with aluminum foil. This will help make cleaning up easier. Spoon a thin layer of barbecue sauce across the lined pan.


Slice pressed tofu into 1/2 inch thick cutlets and place in pan. Spoon a layer of sauce across the top of the tofu and bake for approximately one hour, checking occasionally so as not to overcook.


Tofu is done cooking when sauce has baked in and tofu is moist, but not saucy.

Vegan White Sandwich Bread

Ever since reading that there is duck and human hair used in breads at the store to make them more fluffy, I haven't been able to eat bread since!!! YUCK! So I decided from now on we will be eating ONLY home made bread!!! Today I made my first 2 loaves of white sandwich bread and it is YUMMY! My husband and kids were definitely surprised and happy with it. 

**It seems like a long process but it really isn't that bad. 

Ingredients:

2 cups warm almond/soy milk

1/4 cup white sugar(I use Stevia)

1 1/2 T. active dry yeast

6 cups white bread flour

1 1/2 t. salt

1/4 cup oil

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl: mix almond milk, sugar and yeast, stirring gently to dissolve. Let mixture rest for 5-10 minutes or until foamy. 

2. In a medium bowl combine flour and salt.

3. Add oil to yeast mixture. Gradually add the flour: about one cup at a time. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until elastic and firm. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, oil two 9"x5" loaf pans.

5. Punch down dough and turn out onto a dry surface, kneading 3-4 minutes. Divide dough in half, shape into two loaves and place in pans. Let the loaves rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes more, or until loaves have risen above the edges of the pans.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly in pans before serving.

**Bread will keep for 5 days wrapped in plastic wrap. 

Green Hot Sauce

This is one of my favorite things to make. My mother used to make this for my sister and I when we were living with her. Heck I think my sister used to sell it for awhile there. They might be a little upset at me for sharing this recipe, but it's WAY too good to not share!!!

Ingredients:

1 small onion

15(about) tomatillos

6 jalapenos(the amount of jalapenos will determine how spicy the sauce will be)

1 bunch of cilantro

lemon juice(to taste)

salt(to taste)

garlic powder(to taste)

Instructions:

Add tomatillos, jalapenos and onions in pan and boil. Once cooked blend together, add cilantro and blend. Add salt, lemon and garlic to taste.

Mini Pizza

These are not vegan because I did not use vegan cheese...but it's definitely a possibility. I just didn't happen to have any in the house and had some regular cheese left over in my fridge. 

Anyways, we thought this would be a cool idea to get the kids involved with making dinner. Each of us got 2 pizzas to top with whatever we wanted. (I made some extra for lunch the next day for me and Kaysen)

What we used is:

English Muffins

Cheese

Pizza Sauce

Pepperoni(for the kids)

Jalapenos(for ME)

Pickles(for Aidyn..ew)

Spinach

Onions

BBQ Sauce(for Marc)

Put them in the oven on Broil for about 2 minutes and DONE! YUM YUM!!!! We all loved ours...even Aidyn with his pepperoni-pickle pizzas....yeah lol.

Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

I've seen this recipe being floated around FB just recently, and decided to give them a try! :) What mostly caught my eye was that it involved NO sugar to make them...yet they're still sweet and yummy!!! I definitely give them a thumbs up!!!

Ingredients:

3 mashed bananas(ripe)
1/3 cup applesauce
2 cups oats(I used whole grain from Sprouts)
1/4 cup almond milk
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
You can also add a 1/2 cup of raisins, cranberries, etc.
*I made one batch with nothing extra for my husband and 1 batch with chocolate chips(made with soy) for the kids!

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until all combined. Spoon onto a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

*I've also seen that some people make these in cake pans and cut them into snack bars for on the go.

Vegan Banana Nut Bread Recipe

5 STARS!! This was so easy to make and came out wonderful. It was hard for me to keep my husband away from it so it could last lol!

This is the website I used for this recipe!

http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/breadsbakery/r/vegan_banana_bread_recipe.htm

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour(I used wheat)
3/4 cups white granulated sugar(I used Stevia in the Raw)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup plain soy milk or almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups mashed banana, from about 4 large very ripe bananas
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
walnuts(optional)...(I used pecans since that's all I had in my pantry)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a 9"x5" load pan and set aside. (I used two loaf pans)
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soy milk and cider vinegar and let stand for 2 minutes. Add the mashed banana, canola oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, whisking until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined(do not over mix!). Fold in the walnuts if using and pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Allow the bread to cool on a wire cooling rack for 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Burrito Jimmy

Have you ever eaten at Burrito Jimmy?! They are freaking amazing!!!! My husband and I have been there twice now and I believe it's our new favorite place to eat lunch when we're at the office. We go to the one in Richardson, Tx on Coit Rd. The ladies that work there are the sweetest!! :) I get a bowl(no tortilla is less calories!) with rice, TONS of steamed veggies(like squash!), black beans, pico de gallo, salsa, onions, lettuce, chives, cilantro, etc. SO YUM! My husband likes to get the smothered burrito with a spinach tortilla, pretty much the same stuff as me inside, and smothers it in BBQ sauce.
Their portions are ridiculously huge so I eat mine as two different meals in the day.

Absolutely amazing!!! If you haven't been PLEASE do yourself a favor and go try it!!!!!

Nothing New..

Sorry it's been a few days. Haven't been home in the evenings to do any cooking. The other day I was home and my husband and kids requested I make the Moroccan Couscous again so that's what I did. It's even easier to make the second time since you know what you're doing! :)
Tonight I plan on making either veggie burgers or baked potatoes. Haven't decided yet but I will put a picture with the recipe tonight once I decide.
My husband made the vegan french toast again this morning...we can't get enough of that stuff! So yum!!! If you haven't tried it yet..please do! Your kids or spouse will be very thankful.
I've noticed my blog has gotten a LOT of views lately!! Thank you to all my readers!
Today is day 2 of my 24 Day Challenge with AdvoCare. It's going good..trying to eat as clean as we can.

Please comment below...any recipe suggestions? Workout suggestions? Have you recently went vegetarian or vegan?..if so, how is it going for you??

I want to hear from y'all!!

Moroccan Couscous with Saffron

I give this 5 Stars!!! 

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes
2 cups yellow onion, large dice
1 1/5 cups carrots, cut into 1/4" to 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 cups zucchini, cut 3/4" cubes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoons saffron threads
1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

Instructions:

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash, onion, carrots and zucchini on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, 1 teaspoons salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 min, turning once halfway through.
  While veggies roast, bring the broth to a boil in a pot. Remove the pot from heat, stir in butter, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper, cumin, and saffron. Cover the pan and steep for 15 minutes.
  Scrape roasted veggies and their juices into a large bowl and add the couscous. Bring the veggie broth back to a boil, and pour over the couscous mixture all at once. Cover tightly with a plate and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
  Add the scallions, toss the couscous and veggies with a fork, and serve.

Basic Pancakes(Vegan)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
1.5 cups rice milk(we used Soy)
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, melted, or safflower oil(we used coconut)
1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice milk, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until combined(a few lumps are okay). Preheat a nonstick griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat for at least 2 minutes. About 1/4 cup at a time, pour the batter onto the grill or skillet. Cook until bubles appear, the edges are set, and the pancakes are nicely browned on the bottom(bout 2 to 3 minutes). Turn and cook until the other side is nicely browned, 1 to 2 minutes. If necessary, keep the finished pancakes in a warm oven while you finish the batter. Serve hot with maple syrup.

Extra Ways to Make the Pancakes:

Blueberry Pancakes: Stir 1 cup of blueberries into the batter.
Banana Walnut Pancakes: Stir 1 large banana, thinly sliced, and .5 cup chopped walnuts into the batter.
Chocolate Pancakes: Reduce the whole-wheat pastry flour to 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Increase the syrup to 2 tablespoons.


This recipe is super easy!! My 8 year old son made it this morning(with supervision of course). :)