We live, We learn

I'm am one moody lady lately. I'm having violent mood swings. Not violent in that I'm lashing out at other people kinda way but the way that makes me want to reach out and grab bad foods. It's completely in my head though. This I'm sure of. I'm losing inches from my waste and not once have I felt starved for food or physically craved stuff. Nonetheless, today's eating choices were just so so. I made a huge greenish smoothie yesterday to last me a few mornings. Unfortunately, it was incredibly thick. Probably too much kale and spinach for the amount of liquid. As a result I ended up spoon eating my smoothie for breakfast. I had about 3-4 ounces of mixed greens for lunch and an enchilada for dinner. What I'm not telling you about is what I grabbed from the vending machine. It was a decision. I made it. It didn't satisfy my mood and my lesson is learned.

I liken the situation to this quote my friend Stef posted to Gchat today:

"All I wanna do is eat french fries in the corner."

Well it obviously wasn't french fries that I grabbed from the vending machine but you get the point. It wasn't actually Stef who said this but rather a friend of hers. A friend who I imagine felt a bit like me today. Unwilling or unable to stomp her feet and cry, or scream, or wine like we might have as children, there are then times when some of us just want to quietly sit in a corner, baring our rage, frustration, anxiety, or sadness with french fries or some other comfort food. So there it is. My trip to the vending machine. I'm living. I'm learning. I'm not perfect.

...On a brighter note, inspired by watching one of the last few episodes of Oprah (tear falls from face), here are 5 of my favorite things. My favorite pantry items to be specific. And no, if you look under your chair you won't find them, nor will an elf be handing you a bag from me anytime soon. Sorry! Nonetheless these guys make my plant-based life that much sweeter:

In this photo:
1. I'm willing to add Braggs Liquid Aminos to just about anything. Especially if it's something that I think normally needs salt. I don't add much, just a splash. I consider this stuff to be an absolute must, no seriously, A MUST in my pantry! I even have a bottle at work for lunch.
2. The balsamic vinegar needs no introduction but can be found at Whole Foods Market if you don't recognize the 365 label. (Also kept in a cabinet at work.)
3. The cocoa is one of the healthiest most natural varieties I could find and it doesn't disappoint.
4. Fresh cracked pepper can take food to a whole new level for me. I grew up eating/using the ground black pepper so when I discovered grinders I was forever changed. My absolute fav is topping this over roasted broccoli. Mmmmm good!
5. And last but certainly not least is unsweetened soy milk or almond milk. I love them both. And now that my palate is a little clearer, I choose between the two based on the overall flavor of the dish. They bring me creamy goodness in either case.

That's all for tonight folks. Hope your Monday was off to a better start than mine. If not, we live. we learn. We move forward!

PS: Thanks to Stef for letting me share this quote. :D

Celebrating My Mom (with plant goodness)

Today is Mother's Day so it only seems appropriate that I celebrate my mom today. She's 3,000 miles away in California but she's always with my in spirit and in my heart. There is no denying that I'm clearly her child through and through. Mom I love you!

Like most children I

My Weekend of Wonder: Rainbow Foods, Farmers' Market and Shopping!

Friday - Rainbow Foods
I'm learning that the more plant-based dishes I create, the more beautiful and interesting the color scheme. Taking lots of pictures for this blog has been a really fun experience. I've realized that lots of naturally bright greens, reds and yellows on my plate is a good sign of nutrient-dense food. Friday night cooking was no exception.

I decided to whip up another Nutritarian recipe from ETL. I made the bean enchiladas (ingredients at left) because I'm still riding high on a mexican food kick due, in part, to Cinco de Mayo. Being from California I almost consider Cinco de Mayo to be like a special state holiday. My father grew up in predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood of San Diego where he learned to speak spanish from friends and my grandmother learned to cook authentic mexican dishes. I celebrate it most years by

Getting my green mojo back!

Goood morning! I'm up unusually early this morning. My neighbors woke me up at 4:30am and I couldn't quite get back to sleep. I decided this was the perfect time to check-in with all of you.

I realize I've been neglecting

Souper Sunday!

I had one serious souper Sunday. So serious that I had absolutely no energy to make dinner and frankly I'm still tired at the thought of it.

Background: Being such a lover of desserts and baked goods as I discussed here and here, it's probably no shocker that I would much rather bake up a cake from scratch than stand over a stove stirring away at something. I haven't tended to show the most patience in that department. Baking always seemed more straight forward. Measure it out. Don't forget the basic (e.g. baking soda, eggs, sifted flour, etc.) Stir it up. Grease the pan. Pour it in. Set the time and bake.

Cooking on the stove top is another issue altogether. Yesterday, I decided to try cooking not one but two of Dr. Fuhrman's recipes for nutrient-dense soup. The first would be the Black Forest Cream of Mushroom Soup followed by Golden Australian Cauliflower Cream Soup. I decided to cook both because there was quite an overlap of ingredients and Sunday has become my day of cooking in preparation for the week ahead. I spent hours in the kitchen chopping all of the vegetables, mincing the garlic as blending the cashew cream and sauteeing mushrooms. Don't these look good!

I could have just