Smoothies for ALL!

It is just too hot to cook. It is even too hot to BBQ!

So here is my solution to these 99 degree days…and nights! Sheesh, I am not even kidding you. For some reason, the portable AC units are cancelling one another out so I can either run the one in our bedroom, or the one in the main area of the house…but not both. Last night, both the dog and I were panting. I am glad our week is going to see cooler temps starting tomorrow. Come on mid 80’s, which is still too hot for this fat suit. I am most comfortable at 75 to maybe 80 degrees. Anything above or below that and I am sharing my thoughts! (And it isn’t pretty.)

Anyway, these are my favorite hydrating no fuss smoothies. Add as much or as little as you like of the ingredients and add some ice. Or, simply add the ice to the blender if you are enjoying them right away.

Until next time, drink healthy and stay hydrated!
–April

July 9-15, 2018 (Meals)

Tortilla Pizza with Garlic sauce

Lime and Cashew Slaw

Roasted Corn, tomato and basil rice pasta salad

Deconstructed spring roll bowl

Vegetarian PIZZA!

Sweet potato, Brussels and toasted taco tofu bowl

There is something magical about eating all of these wonderful plant-based foods. I cannot even begin to imagine going back to where we were only a short time ago. (Thirty-one days, to be exact!)

You can see the recipes for the photos above over on Pinterest by clicking here.

I do hope you find something that will inspire you to try one of them this week with your family. Oh! Quick tip: purchase the FIRM Tofu and dry it well with a paper towel prior to cooking. You want it as dry as possible…it helps make a crispy end product!

Happy health,
April

Meal Plan: July 16-22, 2018

Spaghetti squash chow mein

Corn Chowder (vegan)

Mushroom and broccoli stir fry

So, I lied! I said in my post that I would be eating RAW VEGAN while Wes was on vacation. Instead, I saw all of these gorgeous meals on Pinterest and I wanted to try them. And since I am “single” this week, I can do whatever the heck I want. 🙂 

Do the research

Since we have made the decision to eat more of a plant-based lifestyle, I find there are a lot of misconceptions out there. I have also found there are a lot of opinions about Vegan eating especially. In fact, I have to say, we are on day 22 and for the last 22-days I have heard the strangest things about eating. Now, I am a researcher. I sit at the computer for hours watching documentaries and reading article and studies. Rarely do I take the word of one person to be the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

When I was researching health, about a month ago, I did research the keto diet. I watched the Netflix documentary, The Magic Pill. You too can hop on the internet and explore the wild, wild world of health. Be careful though, at times I did feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole!

Wouldn’t it be awesome if butter and bacon were “health foods”?

REVIEW: Vegan Tuscan Rigatoni

I must say, this dish really surprised me! If you want the recipe click here. The sauce is dairy-free and tastes so much like cheese, I felt guilty for a moment! I pre-made the sauce, Sunday afternoon so it only took me about fifteen minutes to complete this one and again…so good!

If you enjoy pasta and cheese sauces…try this one! I highly recommend it!

Recipes!!

I am looking forward to clean, wonderfully flavored foods next week. So much, I wanted to share them with you and your family. Below are the recipes we will be making for the week of June 24-29, 2018.

Q&A: Thanks for all the love!

Just wanted to say, thank you. I appreciate all of the likes and comments as well as the super sweet emails! I also wanted to take a quick moment and answer a few questions…

Day 4: Raw Vegan

It wasn’t my best day to date…and here I thought the work week would be the easiest. I suppose, if it wasn’t for interviews this week, it would be. (I am the queen of making excuses for my bad eating habits!) And I did talk to Wes

Research

Let me start off by saying, I am not a fan of fad diets. I have heard of Atkins, Paleo, Keto and the South Beach diets. None of them have ever convinced me to follow the pack. I say this, because I know there are a lot of us…both men and women…looking for that magical diet that is going to work. I already found what works for me. Well, kind of. Two and a half years ago, I lost sixty pounds in eight months eating nothing but whole foods. Sure, there was a cheat meal here and there, but for the majority of my meals, it was fresh produce, fruit and meat.

This time around, I decided to go back and research some more about foods and diet all together. I started with

06/09/18-260

This is so familiar.

I have been here before. In fact, I lost 80 about two-years ago. Gained it all back and now? Well, now I am trying to find the motivation to get myself motivated once again.

Being fat is easy.

Sure, I mean, I can eat whatever I want. So, sure that part is easy enough. Staring in my closet for a pair of pants to wear and a shirt? Yeh, that’s not so easy. How about tying shoes? Bows in the middle? Ha! Not for a while now. So, yeh…being fat is easy. It is also depressing, frustrating and oh-so overwhelming.

All you have to do is:

Sure, we all hear about the latest fads. Eat only soy milk and lemons. Have seventeen micro-meals everyday. Eat 200 grams of fat and cut out all carbs. Carrots are bad carbs. Pasta is bad. Rice is bad unless it’s wild rice, then it’s okay. By okay, I mean, you can eat it for one meal every fourteen days. Vegan is the only sustainable weight loss plan. Eat seafood because the fat is better for you. Don’t eat dairy. Eat only dairy. Cheese is bad. Cheese is really good. Sugar is the enemy. Sugar is the enemy. Okay, so it seems everyone agrees on that one. Well, everyone other than the producers of our food.

Join me.

Feel free to follow my blog. I will be posting meal ideas, what I actually eat, how I feel and for sure…it will be comical and a tad bit sarcastic. My plan is to blog once a week. With 130 pounds to lose…I may post more than that in the beginning. I feel like my emotions may be all over the place.

Until next time, I need to shower and head over to Marshall’s this morning. I am on the hunt for the tall skinny Rae Dunn lettered plates. The pottery…not the Melamine. Wish me luck!

–April