Refried beans

I love refried beans. They are SO delish. I never really thought that you could make them at home. It just wasn't one of those food items that I thought would be easy to make. BOI was I wrong! They are so effin easy. Especially if you have a slow cooker. 

K’s Refried Beans

2 cups pinto beans

4.5 cups water

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

4 tbsp tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

2 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a slow cooker. Make sure there’s enough water to cover the beans by a few inches. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Once fully cooked, remove bay leaves mash them with a potato masher or blend with a hand blender (easiest). Add more salt and pepper to taste.

TIP: Add jalapeno peppers for a kick

I eat them on their own, with salsa, in a Mexican salad, as a dip, in burritos or quesadilla's, etc etc etc.

This time it was in a salad.

I put red leaf lettuce, celery, TruRoots Organic Sprouted Bean Trio, refried beans, salsa, and freshly squeeze lime.

Normally I would have everything in there, like broccoli, carrots, corn, jalapenos.....etc BUT I forgot. I also put chopped green onions on top after I took the pic. :(

NOTE: they do freeze well. So if you have leftovers or aren't into eating refried beans daily like I am them by all means freeze them and let your worries fade.

I don't know if I've mentioned this but last week I decided I am going to do Tough Mudder with a group of friends. They say its probably the toughest event on the planet. I need to be able to do 6 pull ups in a row by June 23rd. So far I'm at ZERO! LOL They are SO hard! I'm not sure how its even possible for me to do one but I'm going to keep trying. On Monday at the gym I started a new routine. HOLY CRAP! Its so hard. I'm pretty damn sore and tight. But not that bad cuz I upped my Chlorella. (Promotes cell regeneration therefore speeding up recovery time). 

I used the assisted pull up machine at the gym. Had a bit of an audience which made me giggle which then made me unable to do anything. LOL We had a cheerleader too. A guy was encouraging us to keep at it. Lol.  Oh and I will. This new goal is awesome because I was SO bored at the gym. I needed a new routine and motivation to work harder. And boy have I been working out harder. I've been sore since Friday night. (yes, I work out on Friday nights sometimes).

Diet will stay the same. Other than stopping eating everything in sight, which I have been since Thursday. Sigh. Still doing about 32-38 ounces of green smoothies every day and one big salad. And I've been cutting back on the booze, although its the XMAS season now so the holiday bevvies have begun. Starting tonight. I'm taking the night off as my muscles need time to regenerate. Or if the party blows then I might sneak out early for a evening workout. We shall see. Once wine hits these lips......you never can tell what's gonna happen. :)

Peace

xoxo

K

Delicata Hummus

My obsession with Delicata Squash has continued but now I'm officially out of it. I didn't see any at Safeway in my hood last time I was there so I may be out of luck. I hope not. I will find it. lol

I suggested this dip to a coworker on our delicata squash potluck and she made it. It was amazing. I'm not sure how she did it, but I assume she roasted the squash and mixed it with store bought hummus. Well folks, that's not how I roll. I made it all from scratch of course and with no oil, and very minimal salt.

Delicata Hummus

Ingredients:

1 delicata squash, roasted

3 garlic cloves, roasted

1 can chickpeas (540ml)

2 tbsp tahini (heaping)

1 lemon

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp paprika

pepper

water

Directions:

1. Once the squash has cooled off enough, scrape out the insides.

2. Add chickpeas, tahini, lemon, sea salt, paprika, pepper and about a 1/4 cup water to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. I like my hummus very smooth, not chunky so do it to your preference. Add more water and mix it around if needed.

3. Add the squash to the mixture and blend until smooth. Taste and add more spices to your preference.

This dip is really good with fresh veggies. I used sliced cucumber, zucchini, celery and Belgium endive. I'm sure it would be good instead of mayo on a sandwich or with tortilla chips or crackers. YUM!

Bring it to a holiday party and lemme know how it goes. I brought it to a party on Saturday and got positive feedback! loves.

Peace

xoxo

K

Vegan Junk Food: Tofurkey Pizza

I was terribly bad this weekend. I ate the ish outta it in fact. lol It all started with that American Thanksgiving Potluck. It gave me a taste for bread. I almost never eat bread or pasta but when I do I go crazy for it. Hopefully now that its Monday I've got it out of my system and can get back to my usual foods. But before I do that, let me share some good vegan junk food that I had last night. 

I picked up a Tofukey Pizza from Choices. It was a Italian Sausage and fire roasted veggies. SO good! I love Tofurkey Pizza! I love Tofurkey! lol 

Mmmmmmm, topped that with my new Valentia hot sauce and BOOM!

Now back to healthy eats. Check out what I made for a smoothie this morning....very vegerific!

In there is a banana, pear, 1 cup mixed berries, handful of spinach, spirlina, hemp and chia seeds, a whole lime and water. 

It was my friend Mikey's birthday this weekend so I went to join him and his friends for the festivities. It was so great to meet his buddies, they were quite nice. One baked him a smorgasbord of goodies. Like crazy. She was up until like 4am baking. Wow, so nice!

YUMMY

Gorgeous. :)

I have a GREAT dip for you tomorrow. Just gotta take a pic of it first. It is SO delish. AND I'm making a big crockpot full of refried beans too! Can't wait to share that recipe with you. Its so easy!

Peace

xoxo

K

American Thanksgiving Potluck and Fight Night!

We celebrated American Thanksgiving yesterday in honor of a friend who works there who is American. Its most Americans favorite holiday. It was great! So many people participated. We had quite the feast. Waaaayyy too much food which made the afternoon difficult at best. Lol But great leftovers.

My Plate!

SO. I'm not the only person in the office now that doesn't eat meat. So maybe the jokes and comments will be less or not just directed at me. LOL We didn't have a turkey. I was gonna pick up a tofurkey but I didn't make it to the store in time. *sad face

There was tofurkey sausages, roasted veggies, garlic mashed potatoes, corn, beet and apple salad, 2 kinds of brussell sprouts, a sweet potato casserole, roasted chicken, bread, corn bread, and 3 kinds of cakes! 

After work, my friend Steve was fighting in a White Collar Fight night at Contenders Gym downtown. Its for charity, a kids charity. There was 7 or 8 fights that night and Steve's was the main event. He was competing in the heavy weight division and it was his first time fighting. HE WON!!! Yah! AND I didn't even clover my eyes. There was a little blood shed but no broken bones. Lol phew!

The Belt!!

The Champ!

Proud of my Monster

I've been told that I must mention that I'm Steve's inspiration and provided him dietary advice. He started taking VEGA Whole Health Optimizer and Chlorella. I love hearing that. I never want to be a preachy vegan. I don't wanna be preachy about anything and I hate it when people are. Whatever your views are on religion, politics, drinking, eating, or whatever it doesn't mean you need to lecture people on them. We don't all have the same views. But that being said, I love when people make positive changes like adding a few extra veggies into their diet. We could all benefit from it. Whether you go vegan, go vegetarian or just eat more veggies...its a positive change that will have positive effects on your body.

I'm proud of my little monster! My healthy living monster. I'm like Gaga. I have monsters too. lol

Have a good weekend folks!

Peace

xoxo

K

Crustless Asian Vegan Quiche

I finally decided to try making a vegan quiche. I've never been a big quiche fan before, I mainly only ate them around the holidays as mini quiches are a typical party fare. It was quite the affair making it. I wish I had taken more photos like while I was making it to show you what the different stages are but I wasn't sure how it would turn out so next time!

What I love about quiche is how versatile it is. You can put whatever you want in it. Any kind of veggies you got in your fridge basically. I omitted turmeric this time but mostly because I forgot. I didn't remember until I had already poured it in the pan. Oh well. It makes it look more like eggs.

NOTE: It looks like a lot of ingredients but most of them are spices. Use what you got. Or if you have an "Italiano" or another veggie seasoning, use that to save time!

Crustless Asian Vegan Quiche
Ingredients:
1 pkg extra firm tofu
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp Vegeta
2 tsp Hemp Seeds
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp mirin
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp hot sauce
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sesame seeds
4 bok choy stalks
1/4-1/2 head broccoli
1/2 bunch
1 jalapeno
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 onion, diced

Directions:

1. Chop all veggies as small as you can. The small the better. I think if they are too big, it won't stay together very well.

2. In a food processor or blender, process the tofu, almond milk and all the spices, sauces and seeds until smooth. Might take a bit of work, use a spoon to work it around. (when the power is off obvs!)

3. Saute in 1/4 cup of water the onions, garlic and all the veggies for 4-5 minutes.

4. Combine tofu mixture and veggies and pour into a pan. I used a round cake pan lightly greased with pam.

5. Bake at 350 for an hour. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

NOTE: I enjoyed this meal. But next time I would add cornstarch to the tofu mixture or something to thicken it up just a little bit. And add turmeric so it looks more "eggy". Also, you can use any veggies you want. Spinach and mushroom is a popular combo.

All done!

I served this meal with roasted delicata squash (plain) and green beans tossed in soy sauce and sesame oil and topped with sesame seeds.

Nourishment on a plate

This meal is all protein and fiber. Very low carb but very filling. I did not miss a crust or rice or anything. This meal is packed full of nutrition. So much protein in the tofu plus the hemp seeds and the veggies have it too. I can't even list all the minerals and vits that are contained in everything. POWERHOUSE meal right there. 

Happy Cooking Everyone!!

Peace

xoxo

K

Big Salad

People often ask me what I eat. I guess cause I'm vegan they think I just live off salads. Well as you can see from my blog, I def don't live off salad. That being said, I love salad. And I try to eat a big one as often as I can. My new eating plan is to have a BIG green smoothie for breaky and a big salad for lunch along with a cup of soup or chili. I make big amounts of soup in my crockpot so that I always have something that I made for lunch without as much daily effort. I make a big batch and freeze them in individual tupperware containers.

Smoothies and big salads are great ways to take advantage of raw nutrition. Nothing is heated and therefore contains all the nutrients in tact and all the enzymes. Eating more raw foods makes me feel good so I figure I should eat as much as I can. Not all raw but whatever feels right. 

I made some Tahini Dressing this week for my salads but usually I'll have nothing, fresh lemon or salsa on top. I love salsa. Its so good on salad. Try it. 

This salad has spinach, kale, sui choy (napa cabbage), broccoli, carrots, cucumber and mandarin oranges. And topped with the dressing and hemp seeds. I usually chop and make enough salad for 2 or 3 days. Makes it easier to do the right thing when its readily available. 

I thought I'd share a couple pics of this wonderful red wine chocolate cake that a coworker brought into the office. This girl is the best baker I've ever known. Her baked goods are so professional looking its almost unfair. LOL plus the taste Phe-nom. Now this cake is not vegan so I cud not taste it but I hear its awesome. I really want to try a red wine chocolate cake. Sounds right up my alley. Red wine and chocolate are 2 of my favorite things. For reals. Take note if you wanna buy me a gift. HAHA

Red wine chocolate Cake

It was apparently light and fluffy. YUM! Jealous. 

Get your raw veggie on. And eat some chocolate too. :)

Peace

xoxo

K

Mexican Beans and Quinoa

I really wanted to test out my new hot sauce. Its the one from Steamrollers, but the black label. Which means extra spicy! Its called Valentina Mexican Hot Sauce. I made another one pot meal......well that's a lie, it was two pots. I love beans and rice meals because they are so easy to make, anyone can do it, and you usually have all the ingredients. Well I do anyways. This time I subbed out the rice and used quinoa for some added protein.

That's me holding it, all proud. I got the big bottle! Cuz I'm a big girl now. ;) That's my family crest too, its Japanese.

Mexican Beans and Quinoa
Ingredients:
2 cups dry quinoa, cooked according to package
1 can black beans
2 celery
2 cups frozen mixed veggies
1 cup frozen green beans
1/4 onion
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 to 1/2 cup salsa
Valentina hot sauce

Directions:
1. Saute the onions in a small amount of water if you are avoiding oil.
2. Add frozen veggies and cook until heated thoroughly.
3. Add remaining ingredients except for salsa and quinoa. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Once quinoa is cooked, add to the pot with the veggies.
5. Stir in salsa and hot sauce to your taste. Enjoy!

Tip: Add a quarter of a sliced avocado on top for some good fat and creamy taste.

For 1

For 2

Vegan brownie bites!!!

My sweet friend Grant picked up some Vegan Brownie Bites from Capers for me as he knows I'm a chocolate fanatic! They were SOOOO good. I had 3! ahh.

He was also telling me about some chocolate peanut butter vegan cookies at Delany's on Denman........I might have to make a trip there after my workout tonight. :)

Peace

xoxo

K

One pot meals: Quinoa chickpea Vindaloo

I get lazy like anyone else and don't want to cook. Sometimes so lazy I don't want to order in or leave the apartment. SO in order not to starve I cook up a one pot meal to at least feed and nourish myself and use the least amount of dishes. Lol

I always keep some curry pastes or other cheats like that around for when I'm not feeling making sauces from scratch. I have this Vindaloo Paste from Patak's sitting in my fridge so I thought I'd utilize it for a tasty meal.

One pot quinoa chickpea vindaloo

Ingredients:

1 cup dry quinoa

1/2 can chickpeas

1 stalk kale, leaves removed

1 handful spinach, ripped

2 cups water

1 tsp vindaloo paste

1/2 lemon

hot sauce

Directions:

Put all ingredients except hot sauce and vindaloo paste into a pot and cook for 20 minutes. Ensure that quinoa is cooked, once cooked add the lemon, paste and hot sauce (to taste). Add 1/4 cup water if you want it saucier (which I did). Enjoy!

You could do so much more with this meal, but I just wasn't in the mood. Sometimes quick and easy is the way to go. Haha, that sounded.......funny. ;)

Peace

xoxo

K

Restaurant review: Organic Lives

SOoooo I went back to Organic Lives last night with Jason. He has never had raw vegan food before so I thought since we were sorta in the area we should stop by and give it a shot. The girl there even recognized me from Thursday night. Thankfully didn't mention I was there with a different guy, hahaha. ;)

We started off with the Tapas Platter which I think is a good way to sample many of their items and good for a newbie to raw foods. I didn't take a pic as I already have that one. Jason was a little bit dazzled by the menu so I gave him my advice on what he should order and what I've tried before he made his decision. And obvs we would share. :)

Aloo Tikki

Pasta Primavera

The Aloo Tikki was served with 2 chutney's and a side of cucumber and tomato salad. It looked unappealing as it was just in a burger pattie form. They could shape them a bit nicer. BUT that being said the flavor was obvs delish. It is quite filling and if I'd eaten the whole dish myself I would have been STUFFED.

The Pasta Primavera is made with zucchini noodles. It had a TON of veggies and served with a nice tossed salad. The flavor of the dish was pretty amazing. It was my first time having raw pasta. So the temperature was something to get used to because usually tomato dishes like that are served hot. But I loved it. I love the zucchini noodles fo sho and am def gonna get the spirlina thing to make them. 

All in all, another wonderful experience eating at Organic Lives. It was good to spread the word on vegan food and raw food. Even though I'm not a raw foodist, I def believe eating a diet high in raw foods will do your body good. 

We def felt great after eating, no food babies or food coma's. I was completely full after and didn't need a snack. And as far as I could tell, neither did Jason. SUCCESS. Maybe next is Gorilla Food?

Peace

xoxo

K

Restaurant review: The Perch

I went to the Perch this weekend for breakfast for the first time. I've heard about this place through some fellow vegans in the Community (The Vegan Project) and FINALLY decided to venture on out there and try it. I did like my tofu scramble. Its still not the best one I've ever had BUT it was pretty good. 

Vegan Tofu Scramble

It had onions, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, potato, tofu (duh) and daiya cheese. I subbed the mushrooms for jalapeno because I just wasn't in the mood for mushrooms and wanted a kick. Well did they ever add a lot of jalapenos! It was AWESOME. So spicy! LOVES. The flavouring though was a tad lacking, but the daiya and jalapeno added a lot, plus the Franks Red Hot helped out too. This is a common problem with tofu scrambles. My fave is still MoLe in Victoria and The Templeton on Granville Street (both Huervos Rancheros).

It was slightly dingy in there, but the place is under an artists loft. It def has a lot of "character". I'd go again, but I'm not running back there. There's still a couple other spots to try before I make the rounds back.




Peace

xoxo

K

Restaurant review: Panz Veggie

I went to Panz Veggie again. I love this place. They are starting to know me there. And my dad. My dad is by no means vegetarian nor vegan. He's really far from it but loves food nonetheless. Panz Veggie is his favorite veggie restaurant that I've taken him too so I always suggest it.

Deep fried wontons

Chinese mushrooms and bamboo shoots

Shanghai noodles with veggies and fungus

Tofu sheets with greens (spinach)

Everything was to die for as usual. I can not get enough of this place. If you haven't been to Panz Veggie you really should go, and take me. I'm always down to go. lol Its at 1355 Hornby Street downtown Vancouver.

Check it out!



Peace

xoxo

K

Delicata Squash Potluck

On November 18 at work we had a Delicata Squash Potluck or Extravaganza if you may. Everyone brought a dish made with Delicata Squash. It was super yum and super cool to see all the different variations. And for me since I eat so much squash and Delicata squash in particular, nice to have new ideas on how to make them.

I'll start you off with some food porn:

Almost all the dishes

Fresh veggies, Delicata Squash Hummus and Delicata/Apple Chutney

Delicata Squash patties, Roasted Delicata and Delicata and Apple Pilaf

My plate! (Round 1)

Delicata Squash patties in action

SO we had:

- Delicata Squash patties: Delicata squash, garlic and bread crumbs pan fried in olive oil

- Delicata Squash hummus: Roasted delicata squash and hummus mixed together and served with fresh veggies, Belgium endive and bread

- Roasted Delicata Squash: Roasted upside down for 40 minutes

- Garlic and Parsley Delicata Squash: Roasted, chopped and pan fried in garlic and parsley

- Delicata squash and apple chutney: Delicata squash, royal gala apple, nutmeg, ginger, veggie broth, onions all in a crockpot then pureed

- Delicata and Apple pilaf: recipe below (mine FYI)

Delicata Squash and Apple Pilaf

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice, dry

1 Macintosh apple, cored and seeded

1 Delicata Squash, roasted and chopped

4 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package.

2. Add pumpkin seeds to a wok and pan fry until toasted.

3. Add squash and apple, cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add rice, spices and water. Cook until mixed thoroughly, about 5 minutes.

5. Enjoy!

Try this squash! I've talked about it before. Tastes like a sweet potato with better nutrition and WAY less calories but JUST as filling. And as you can see, its very versatile.

Peace

xoxo

K

Tahini Dressing

In the veggie world, Tahini is used a lot. Tahini is a paste of ground sesame. Its delicious. Most people know it as being an ingredient in hummus. I have some in my cupboard at all times because I often make hummus myself but have never ventured in using it in salad dressings......until that is when I picked up a couple of salads from Capers on Saturday. I got a kale salad with Tahini dressing, OMG was it ever tasty! I have tried to recreate something similar even though I didn't have all the ingredients. It turned out pretty tasty.

Tahini dressing

1/4 cup tahini

1/2 lemon

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup water

1 tsp soy sauce

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more water if its too thick. 

TIP: If you have nutritional yeast, add a tablespoon. It will add a nice flavour to the dressing, make it creamier and "cheesy".

I put this over my salad on Saturday and now today. Super yum! Tahini has omega's, fiber, protein, vitamins, lots of goodness to make it a powerhouse seed. Its quite high in calcium content actually.....in a quarter cup it has 35% of your daily intake of calcium! Sesame seeds that make up tahini provide a massive amount of 1,160 mg of calcium/100 g serving!  That's about 10x the amount of calcium vs. milk for the same serving size.  Cow's milk provides roughly 118 mg of calcium/100 g. Crazy right?

I then sprinkled some hemp seeds and black and white sesame seeds on top. No osteoporosis for this gal. My salad had sui choy, spinach, kale, mandarin oranges, cucumber and broccoli. Mmmmmm

I do have some restaurant reviews and recipes for yah, but I forgot to bring my camera cable thingy. So you will have to wait until tomorrow for that. I wanted to get in some posts this weekend but it was Super hectic. And this week is insane too! Its funny how some weeks can fill up so far in advance and others I'm all spontaneous. It gets like that as the holidays get closer. Sigh, Christmas is almost here again. I'm just not ready.....nor in the spirit. Lol

Peace

xoxo

K

Restaurant Review: Organic Lives

Steve and I went to Organic Lives last night. Its my 2nd or 3rd time eating there and always thought that I didn't like it THAT much. I am partial to Gorilla Food. BUT this time I fell in love. That place is so damn good!

Tapas Platter

Nut cheeses, veggie crackers, sesame cracker, stuffed mushrooms, tapenade and zucchini hummus served with cucumber and watermelon radishes (so pretty and SO tasty).

Pad Thai

With kelp noodles (Phe-nom) and veggies with a savory dressing and nuts.

Masala Dosa

With a veggie pate inside wrapped with something veggie, can't remember and this item isn't on their online menu. Its changed I guess. Served with a coconut chutney and a raisin chutney. AMAZING!

Spicy Masala Soup

This came with Steve's Masala Dosa. I was surprised by the spiciness of the soup and dosa. I love how Organic Lives has spicy food. Gorilla Food doesn't. I LOVE spicy food! I like it HOT!

French Macaroon

A raw dessert sweetened with maple syrup. It was so amazing. I could not believe how much this changed my life. LOL Steve also got a chocolate macaroon but we were too busy taking pics of my reaction when I ate it to take a lone pic. HA

It was seriously so wonderful. Both desserts. I took a HUGE breath in. OMG I just love chocolate. AND organic raw chocolate with no processed sugar or anything is pretty much where its at. I've tried other raw desserts before and never cared for them but these macaroons are SOOOOOOOOOOO good.

It was Steve's first time there, but he's been to Gorilla Food a bunch of times. That's our usge spot. So it was cool to hear what he thought of this place. My opinion obviously changed And he really loved it all too.

Check it out! Raw vegan food is pretty amazing, you feel so energized after. 

Peace

xoxo

K

30 Day Health Challenge: Day 17

I'm still alive!! I've made it through 2.5 days eating nothing but raw foods. And not just any raw foods like nuts and seeds, but JUST fruits and veggies. Tonight I shall have some nuts or seeds. I must. I must. I need.....

My dins last night. Plus 4 mandarin oranges. I actually didn't finish the green smoothie. I was not interested. I'd already had like 4. The smoothie contained: half a banana, apple, veggie pulp (kale, carrots and cucumber), a fresh lime, 1 tsp spirulina and lots of water. I'm not into eating my smoothies, I like to drink them, so I add water until its drinkable. 

I felt REALLY good yesterday and had so much energy. My mood was crazy good too. I feel like when I first went vegan. SO when I'm done with this whole cleanse thing, I'm def going to incorporate A LOT more raw foods into my diet. I feel so light and energetic. It must be right if it feels good, right? LOL Right. 

I'm REALLY excited to go to Organic Lives. Its a raw vegan restaurant. Which means they don't cook anything over 118 degrees and there's no wheat, dairy, meat, or any other animal product, obvs. I've been there twice before and have looked at the menu about 6 times in the last 2 days trying to figure out what I want. Mostly because I'm stoked to eat something other than salad and smoothies. LOL I'm pretty sure I'm going to get the Pad Thai and hopefully Steve will want to share the Tapas Platter cuz it sounds Phe-Nom. 

So after today, I'm going to start eating 1 hot meal a day for the remaining 4 days of the cleanse. Then its done! Monday is the last day. Woot woot! I don't think it should be so difficult. I have some meals planned that are out, but I can just use those as my hot meal and make my smoothies and salads for the other times.

After I'm done, I might try to continue on with this whole green smoothie/salad thing. Have the smoothie for breaky and salad for lunch. But add things like nuts/beans/tofu to it to bulk it up and add protein and fat. I find when I don't eat enough fat that I'm SOOOO cold. Like crazy cold. 

I wanna make my meals a bit more simple. Cut back on salt. I don't use much at all, but being Japanese and all I use a lot of soy sauce. I've been checking out this guy on Facebook these days, and he has this album called "My simple recipes". Very easy, simple and nutritious meals. I should give one a try.....

Now doesn't that look good?
2 bean Mexican Delight

- 2 Large Bags Success Instant Rice
- 1 Can Eden Foods Pinto Beans
- 1 Can Eden Foods Black Beans
- 2 lb Bag Frozen Peppers and Onions
(I just found a great version of this as BJ's)
- 1 lb Bag Mixed Veggies (corn, peas, carrots, string beans)
- Salsa (Home made)

Instead of using the "boil in the bag" method today, I opened the bags of rice and put them in a pot with water. Brought to a boil and cooked for 10 minutes. I rinsed the beans and added them to the rice after about 5 minutes. While this was cooking, I steamed the veggies in another pot. When the rice was done, so was the veggies. I drained any extra water from both and then I served it up as above.

(I had two bowls!!) :)

I would not use instant rice, NEVER. Blasphemy. But I'm gonna eat the shit outta my first hot meal. LOL

Have a loverly day folks

Peace

xoxo

K

30 Day Health Challenge: Day 16

Well.....yesterdays all raw day was successful. With any cleanse or detox, there can be an emotional element as well as the physical detox symptoms. It has not been bad at all for me, mainly because I'm already so healthy but also because when I was feeling snippy and emotional I just put my head down and worked away. The morning was the worst. I was feeling VERY hungry for solid food. Not hungry because I was full but the need for solid food was great. The menu I ate/drank on Tuesday was:

1 cup hot lemon water

3 16-20 ounce smoothies (mixed berries, banana, apple, pear, lime, fresh veggie juice....)

1 apple

1 small salad with lemon dressing (fruit and veg)

1 LARGE salad with lemon dressing (fruit and veg)

4 mandarin oranges

NOTE: when I say lemon dressing, I mean just fresh lemon juice.

Seriously, that was all I ate. AND I got in an hour workout. 50 minutes cardio and 10 minutes abs and stretching.

The point of this cleanse is to remove built up toxins in my body, clear out waste (EW) and to cleanse my palate of sugar and salt. It also helps reduce cravings, detoxifies your liver and colon and reduces weight (if that's what you want). I'm def more of a savory eater. I love salty foods but am totally addicted to sugar. Its crack. I swear. 

Today, I'm gonna try for another raw day again. We'll see how it goes. I'm a little mucusy and a very slight headache (signs of detox) but that is so minimal that I barely can feel it. 

My liquid breaky, smoothie, herbal tea, hot lemon water and water!

Now, I'm not gonna lie here and tell you this is easy. Its really not at all. The first 5 hours of day one was rough. I barely talked at all. My coworkers noticed how quiet I was. If you know me at all, I'm one chatty Cathy over here. After my workout as I was prepping my salad, I was a bit somber. Not because the salad wasn't tasty but because it wasn't hot food.

Dinner is my FAVE meal of the day fo sho. So making some tasty and delish is one of my fave things to do, whether its just for me or if I cook for someone else. SO FUN! My somber attitude towards my salad was def uncalled for, and it was enjoyable and on any other day I wouldn't have felt that way, but a whole day raw is hard. 

The principals of what I wanna do are:

- consume 2-3 16-20 oz smoothies per day

- eat raw for 2 meals a day

- Cook with no added fats, oils, sugar or salt

- last 7 days!

That being said, I never let my diet slow me down. Tomorrow I will be dining out tomorrow night before I see a movie....haven't chosen the restaurant. He's pretty flexible in his eats and is training for a fight this month so eating clean is where he's at so maybe we'll go to a raw vegan place. We usually go to Gorilla Food but it closes at 7pm so Organic Lives is our option. OR I'm thinking Calabash Bistro as a back up plan. I haven't been there since the summer.

Here's the salad I had last night:

Now wish me luck for day 2!!! EEEeeek, and I got some new moves for the gym that I'm stoked to try out.

Peace

xoxo

K