Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Wow has it been a while! Sorry friends! Seems like our summers always get busy with this and that, as well as traveling all around. We just got back from Iowa for about a week and half, and we're back for a couple weeks and then we head "Up North" :), for a photo shoot with our photographers from Iowa, who just happen to be coming to the mitten! :) Wooohoo! A couple weeks after that we are headed to Wisconsin for a lake house weekend with some of our friends that Phil went to undergrad with! I think it's safe to say that once we get back from all of those little trips, we'll be good for a while. Hopefully fall back into our routine and hunker down here on potty training and such until a hopeful trip back to Iowa this winter! :)

Anyways.... That said.. After the travel back and forth, I have been hungry for a yummy, "stick to your ribs" type of meal. Shepherd's pie gets me every time. I LOOOOOOVE it so much! I don't really have a specific recipe, but I'll do my best. It's basically just a throw together recipe, which is kind of nice actually. No strict measurements. My "measurements" are round about... if you like more potatoes, add more, if you don't like the potatoes as thick.. add less. I Love potatoes so I use quite a few.

**Vegan Shepherd's Pie**

First boil your potatoes (I'd say I probably used around 8-10 russet) and prepare however you typically do for mashed potatoes. I realize that not everyone likes the flavor of almond milk, but oh I LOVE it in this dish. It really gives the potatoes kind of an earthy/nutty (obviously) flavor. So good. I think it's a great addition. I also used Earth Balance, Soy Free "Butter" in mine. You'd never know it's vegan, and it's delicious!

I am probably the worst technical cook of mashed potatoes, but oh they turn out so yummy! I don't do the fork tender test on this recipe. I simply wait until the water is almost a milky color. ha! The potatoes basically mush in the water. It makes it SO creamy though! I wonder.... is there REALLY a wrong way to boil potatoes? Hmm.. Another subject, another day. Anyways.. this is what mine usually look like while cooking and almost done..

Next.. just add your add-ins and voila! :) Now...... here is the Hard Part! Listen up!!!!!

***** Try not to eat them all while you are preparing the rest! :) hehe. This is seriously the hardest part of the recipe. no joke. I could eat the whole pan... and then Giuliana comes up and all of the sudden decided that she liked them.. Bad news. Thankfully I made quite a few, so we could spare a bit.... or a lot. ;)

I should also note.. while you are boiling the potatoes you can be boiling your lentils. I used 2 cups of "not beef" broth and 1 cup of lentils. Just rinse your lentils, and add it all to a pot. Turn on high to a rapid boil and once it boils, turn it down lower so that there are just a few bubbles. Basically you just let it simmer away until all of the liquid is soaked up, and then lentils are tender. You can add more water if they aren't tender when all of the liquid is soaked up, but I've never had to do this. I also like them with a bit of a bite instead of being total mush. Time will vary.. but just check the packaging. They will at least take as long as the potatoes so it's a good idea to get them both going at the same time.

While BOTH of those are boiling away... You can begin on the rest.

Chop and saute 1 sweet onion in a little bit of olive oil on your stove until the onions are almost translucent. Basically you just want to soften them up, so that once everything is cooked and you're eating it, you don't have this yummy soft pie, and then crunchy onions. Blech! I also sprinkle the onions with a bit of Himalayan Pink Salt, and dried Thyme. Thyme to me is strong, but I love it. How much you want depends on your personal taste, as with salt. I try not to add too much as I'm cooking, but at the same time making sure I am seasoning it properly. Fine line. :) Don't cross it, there is no going back!

When the onions are tender, add in 2 cloves of garlic (minced). Basically I just try to warm the garlic through and let some of the oils release.

Once you're happy with that.. it's time for the good stuff! :)

Mixed veggies. Frozen! (time saver, woohoo!) I made 2 batches of this dish with 1 regular sized bag from the grocery store, but did add some additional corn to the mix on the second. It's up to you, again, how much veggies you want vs. how much potato.

Add the frozen veggies to the pan. Stir around to coat veggies with any remaining oils left with the onions. This step is important because you need to give the flour something to stick to. If you don't feel the veggies are coated enough, add a TINY bit more oil and you'll be good. I added 4 T. flour in mine, and it was perfect! (Aren't you proud?? An actual measurement!) Stir around to coat all of the veggies in the flour mixture. Once everything is nicely coated, add in 1 c. broth. I used veggie broth this time for a little added veggie flavor, but you can use whatever broth you want. 

Keep the heat on so the mixture can thicken up a bit before starting to build your shepherd's pie. 

At this point go back and check on your lentils. Odds are, they're probably done. Check to make sure all of the water is absorbed, and if so... Dump them on in and stir!! :) This is my favorite part... and another dangerous moment in the process as I just start eating out of the pan! ;)

Oh my soul.. Yum!

Pull out a 9x13 glass pan, spray with a non-stick spray. Dump the lentil mixture in, spoon in your potatoes...

I just do it rough to make sure I can cover the entire pan (after eating my fair share) ;), and then I go back and spread it out.

I also dollop a few pads of my Earth Balance to the top... just for kicks and added flavor. I do not add salt to the top of it, but I do crack some fresh pepper on top.

350 degrees for 20 min.. or until it's nice a bubbly! :)

Sorry no pictures of the finished product. We dove in as soon as it came out of the oven! :)

Enjoy!!!! :)

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I realize this recipe was kind of choppy, but since I don't have a actual recipe, I thought I'd just walk you through it. Let me know how you like it, and if you added anything new to it. I'm always game for throwing more yum in it! :)

Peace.. Love.. and Vegan Comfort Foods!

*~Lindsey~*

**Starbucks Refresher DIY**

Well, we are finally home. Seems like we've been running around like crazy for the past couple months. We got back from our travels out east, then came home for a couple short weeks, and then back to Iowa we went! We had a great time with family and friends, but it's always nice to sleep in your own bed again, cook your food, and *gasp* do laundry and cleaning?! ha. Yes, I know, kind of strange but when I get back from lots of traveling I kind of go into spring cleaning mode, or whatever season it is, and I feel like doing major cleaning.

On to the real reason it's 10:07 p.m. and I really wanted to do a post! :)

Yesterday while I was at Whole Foods I wanted to look for a hibiscus tea. I have previously, many times, had the Starbucks Berry Refresher and it's.... incredible. I'm trying to stay away from too much soy milk, which is the only option for a milk alternative at Starbucks, so I will reach for this instead sometimes if I'm out and about. It's delicious, fresh, great berry flavor, just yum! Their version has green coffee extract in it, which mine doesn't have, but either way, it's a pretty close second! If you need that extra kick, you can probably pick some of that up at your local health food store.

Mine is super simple.

Berry Hibiscus Refresher

8 oz. hot water
1 Tazo, Passion tea bag
1/4 c. frozen raspberries
Raw Rock Sugar from Teavana (I'm sure you can find this elsewhere, that's just where mine is from)

Add everything into a measuring cup and let it steep. I let mine steep until it was cooled quite a bit, maybe 10-12 min. After that time, remove the tea bag and use a spoon to mash the raspberries up, as well as stir the tea around to make sure any remaining sugar is dissolved. 

Serve over ice, and enjoy! It's delicious. This would also be good if you had some lemonade to mix with it.

Speaking of..... here is another goodie for you :)

*~Homemade Lemonade~*

1 c. + 1/8 c. organic lemon juice (I buy it in bulk from Costco and it's super cheap!)
1/2-3/4 c. sugar (depending on how sweet you like it, I like it more tart)
6 cups water
1 lemon, cut up into pieces

Mix water, lemon juice and sugar together, until sugar is dissolved. Cut up lemon into 6-8 pieces and float on top. As I pour a glass, I like to take out a piece of lemon and throw it in the cup with the lemonade. It makes it taste great, plus it also looks fun and summery when you have guests over. 

Enjoy!! :)

Well, those are my summery drinks for the day! I hope you guys enjoy them and they inspire you to get out there and start creating some alternatives to all of the processed junk we are used to drinking!

Peace, Love, and Bottoms Up!

*~Linz~*

**Make Ahead Breakfast!**

Make ahead breakfast.. can't get much better than that, right? Whether you're a busy working mom, mom working from home, a mom at ALL, or don't even have kids yet, and just find yourself craving something different for breakfast that doesn't feel like you threw it into a bowl or unwrapped it. This one is a yummy one! I found the recipe on Pinterest and love it. I haven't tried freezing them yet, but I don't know why you couldn't! THAT would make it even easier! :) let me know if you do and how they are when you pull them out!

Vegan Pancake Puffs (Makes 12 puffs)
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1 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. almond milk
2 T. Earth Balance "butter" (melted)
3 T. Maple Syrup (I used agave)

*Add wet ingredients into a bowl and whip together.. then just add all the dry and mix well.

Bake 350ª for 12-14 min.

(I sprayed my muffin pan with cooking spray and then floured, just to be sure they popped out. I don't think I would use muffin liners. They popped out perfectly with the spray and flour.

*You can add any add-ins that you would normally put in pancakes. This time I did mini dairy and soy free chocolate chips, next time I'm going to do blueberries. Use your imagination! :)

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I hope you guys enjoy this one and it helps make your mornings go a little smoother!

Peace, Love, and Smooth Sailing,

Linz

Encourage

Oh dear.. Where do I begin. I've got a lot of my mind.

Since I've gone vegan very few people have been supportive. I've got a handful. Many others make jokes, roll their eyes, or seemingly judge me for making the change. That said, I try my best to let it roll off my back and move on. It's starting to really bother me though.

Why is it that people have such strong negative feelings to a plant based raw vegan diet, or any vegan eating at all for that matter. Why is it that we have gotten so high up on our "meat and potato" American horses that we disregard the benefits of eating anything different. I understand when people are raised that way and are stubborn in their ways and refuse to change, but why criticize me for choosing not to? I think it boils down to change, and being different. People don't take that easily if it goes against all they know. At the same time.. I was raised in Iowa, and very much in a meat and potatoes family. Phil's family is the same way, and that's great.
However for myself, my body and what I feel is best for it, I have chosen to eat vegan. I imagine that if it were a situation where I was allergic to eggs, dairy, or meat that nobody would take a second look or throw a snide comment at the fact I didn't eat those things, but because I've chosen this, it's like the dumbest thing ever, or I'm on some ridiculous band wagon that I should just "get over". This is not something I will get over. It's a lifestyle change that I have made.
I've been asked if this is something I plan to do the rest of my life. The answer is yes. As long I can, I will. I have enjoyed the new adventure so much. Seeing new foods, trying things I wouldn't have tried before, being creative with ingredients, and so many more things.
People always ask, how will you get calcium??? How will you get protein?? Come on people, sorry to be frank, but educate yourselves. I think we've been brainwashed into thinking "if you want strong bones you HAVE to drink milk".. "If you want protein, grab a steak".. There are so many options its ridiculous. I feel like I haven't even touched the tip if the iceberg with all of the foods that contain these two things. Be informed.
All in all, I'm not doing this based solely on being cruelty free, although I think everyone should watch a few slaughterhouse videos and then decide if that 16 oz ribeye is really worth what you just saw. How do you REALLY know where your meat is coming from? (And what it actually is??) IKEA meatballs anyone? I am doing this largely based on health. I want to be healthier. I want to fill my diet with more whole foods. I may not be perfect yet, but I've stuck with the vegan thing since day one. Or.., 30+ :) Its honestly one of the most freeing things I've done in all my life. To realize my eating life does not have to revolve around eating meats and animal products is liberating. It frees you up to eat so many healthier foods, it's fabulous.
If you don't choose to eat this way, I have no problem with that. While I feel it may be best, it doesn't make it right for you if you don't feel compelled to eat this way. It's a sacrifice in some things, others not at all. You have to be 100% or it won't work. As they say in the book Vegan Cooking For Carnivore puts it... You make food vegan not make vegan food. You can still eat so many delicious dishes being vegan. You won't even miss the meat!

Basically, this is what I have chosen. I didn't write this to throw statistics at anyone, not do I have them memorized... Those are easily accessible if anyone wants to find them, let me know and I can direct you to what brought me to this point. There are some great documentaries out there that are so informative!

Phil is 150% behind me. He is proud of me for making this change and how I have been strict with it. I love that man. He is going to eat more vegetarian than vegan, and meat on the weekends. It's all compromise, right? :)

Enjoy life. Lets encourage each other in whatever avenue of eating or anything else we choose.

Peace-Love-and Healthy Eating,

Lindsey

A Little Spicy Deliciousness!

 Time for some asian food!!

Oh how I love it. Not enough good can be said about this goodness in a bottle that I found at Trader Joes. it's..... uh-mazing! It's tangy, and sweet, a little "peanut-y" and spicy very spicy! Pure deliciousness! I'm telling you, if you like asian food, GET IT! :) Ok... I'm done with my rant.. Lets begin! :)

So.. I had a recipe from my Spork Fed cookbook that I wanted to try, but this was just about what I expected that recipe to taste like, so I figured I would do the same kind of thing with this..

I found a 2 lb. bag of mini sweet peppersat the grocery store. I got them because the regular bell peppers were out of control expensive. I figured, if I was going to spend $5 on peppers, I would get something fun. The mini sweet peppers are so good! Who knew? I was worried that I wouldn't be able to finish the bag before we left on vacation, but I would say I maybe have a dozen left... if that. We're loving them! So many various things you can add them too, or I've just been chopping the top off and eating, inhaling them! Another favorite of ours now! G has always loved peppers, but these are off the charts. She loves them just about as much as I do, if not more!... well, I'm not sure that's possible.

Ok, take 2.. enough talk, on to the recipe...

You will need:

Spicy Peanut Vineaigrette (Trader Joes)
10 Mini Sweet Peppers
1 Shallot
1 Garlic Clove
Base of Your Choice: Fettuccine, Chow Mein Noodles, Rice.. whatever you want!
1 T. Sesame Oil + Drizzle Olive Oil (just enough to balance out the sesame oil)
Sesame Seeds
Sliced Water Chestnuts
Bamboo Shoots
Sliced Green Onions for Topping

First....

• Heat oil in skillet. Don't make it too hot because you don't want the delicate shallots and garlic to burn the second you put them, but you want it hot enough to sweat the shallots just a bit.
• Add shallots and garlic to pan, and cook just until you start to notice the shallots start to become barely translucent. 
• Cut tops off sweet peppers, cut in half lengthwise, and deseed. Slice into thin strips and add to skillet.

*I barely let my peppers cook at all. Literally, maybe 2-3 min. I like my peppers VERY crunchy and basically just barely warmed through. Just cook them to your liking.

• After your peppers are cooked how you like, add in half of the bottle of Spicy Peanut Vineaigrette. I got 2 good meals out of the bottle from 2-3 people, depending on what you use for your base.
• Add in any add-ins your want. I chose water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Snap peas would be awesome.. whatever you feel like! (Can you tell this recipe is flexible??) ;)
• Once your sauce has warmed through, you're ready to go!
• Add on top of whichever base you want to use. I used fettuccine the first time because that is what my cookbook recipe called for from Spork Fed. The second time around I used chow mein noodles and they were SO much better. The sauce stuck to them so much better and... they just fit! Definitely want to try brown or wild rice next time. It would also possibly be good over quinoa? It's worth a try! :) 

Here are a couple pics of both ways I made the recipe.. I forgot to add the green onions the second time, because I was so anxious to eat it that I piled it on the plate and dove it! (after the pic of course) ;)

Have fun with this one, guys! There are SO many possibilities! :) Enjoy!

Peace-Love-and Vegan Asian,

Linz

IKEA!...and Target! :)

Oh, IKEA... how I love you. :)

Here is a haul video that I made from the trip!

*Also, sorry about the blurry pic at the end of the video. I was recording on my phone and can't flip the camera around on it while recording, so I just had to turn my phone around and record "blindly". AND I meant to say we got the drill out first and then just used the screwdriver on the shelf.

HA :) It wasn't worth recording again, and I haven't gotten to the point of editing my videos, soooo, it is what it is.

Stay tuned for my crafty project with the cork circles! :)

This is the project my mother-in-law is going to do with the pop-up tent! Super excited!

I also got a bin for G's room to put all her library books in. I'll take a pic of that tomorrow and post to this entry. It's perfect!

Peace-Love-and IKEAAAAAA!

XO, Linz

Hearty Vegan Potato Stew

Friends.. I have to say, this one is a keeper!

It's so easy, it should be a crime. I could give you the idea and you could come up with a recipe all your own, but I know I like just having a recipe on hand, so I figured that I would share it with you.

This is the hearty goodness that I whipped up tonight..

Hearty Vegan Potato Stew

3 russet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 qt. carton organic, low-sodium veggie stock (Trader Joes)
1 T. fresh thyme (minced)
1 dried bay leaf
2 c. frozen mixed veggies
3 green onions (whites only)
3 T. minute rice
1/4 c. edamame

1 clove garlic (peeled and left whole)
salt and pepper to taste

Add veggie stock to your pan, and throw everything in. :) Cook until potatoes are tender and rice will be done as well at that point.

Serves: 3

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So.. a few things. 

1. If you don't have fresh thyme, just use dried, but only 1 teaspoon.

2. I made this soup mostly for G who is sick, so I didn't want to blow her away with the garlic, but I still wanted to have a little flavor in it. If you like garlic, you could always mince it up or grate it.

3. I had a good sized bowl and then G had a small bowl, and I still had 2 good sized servings left. I would say if you are feeding adults, you could get the 3 good sized servings out of it. If you're serving kids, you could probably get 5 kid servings out of it. Anything in between, you get the idea. It all depends on how big of servings you are giving.

4. Finally, I didn't had a large onion, but also didn't want a huge onion flavor, just something mild. Shallots would be great in this as well, cipollini onions would be great, or even just minced onions.

5. Wild rice would be AWESOME in this too!

Finally, whatever sounds good to you, throw it in. The edamame was a random throw in, and I ended up really enjoying it in there. Whatever you have would be great! It's hearty, and such a great comfort food on a chilly evening.

Hope you guys enjoy this one! I know I did, and I'm pretty sure it's calling my name again right now! :)

Peace-Love- & Cozy Stews,

XO, Linz

If You Give a Girl a Cookie...

Desperation cookies.... yes, they are, to me, exactly what they sound like. lol.

Since going vegan I have been really good about cravings.. but tonight I wanted cookies, *desperately!*, and I didn't have any. So, I looked online for a recipe that I could bake and get the quick warm cookie fix I needed without spending loads of time on it.

I found a recipe that I changed up, and like I already said.. I'm calling them my desperation cookies. :)

{Desperation Cookies}

1 Very ripe banana
1/2 c. Oats
2 T. raisins 
Pinch of cinnamon

Mash banana with fork in the bowl and then add in remaining ingredients.
Spray sheet tray with non-stick spray and drop cookie mix by spoonful onto it.

Bake 350º for 15 min.

They were delish, not to mention they smelled super good! For obvious reasons, they smelled like oatmeal raisin cookies mixed with banana bread. Mmhmm.. now you know you want to whip some of them up.

Happy Friday Night Friends!

Peace-Love & Warm Cookies

Linz

Chilly Delights

Last week I got a giant bag of grapefruit, a big bag of apples, bananas, etc.. And while we've been eating them, I have been trying to look for recipes that would help me use them up. 

Phil went to work a little bit later yesterday morning, so after getting G up and giving her breakfast, I decided to whip up a little something for Phil and I to have. 

Thought I would experiment. No yogurt or milk.. Purely fruit, and it was delish!

This is what I came up with...

Here is my recipe:

{Breakfast Blend}

1 red grapefruit
1 apple (doesn't matter what kind, but I think mind was Gala)
1 orange
4 t. chia seeds


That's it! Blend it together and enjoy! I left ours kind of chunky and we just ate it with a spoon.

Refreshing and perfect for a pick me up in the morning!

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Today I decided to do a recipe I found online, but I changed it quite a bit and make it completely different so I'm calling it my Vegan Fruit Sherbet.

It's creamy and fruit, and nutty, and so tasty! I tried some before I put it in the freezer. Mmm Mmm.




{Vegan Fruit Sherbet}


1 c. vanilla almond milk
9 ice cubes
1 c. frozen berries/fruit
1 1/2 T. oat
1 1/2 T. slivered almonds
1 squirt of agave nectar


Add the ice cubes to blender and crush. Add in the milk, followed by all of the other ingredients. 


Blend until combined and to the consistency of sherbet.




Enjoy or freeze until later. I just put it in a glasses container, covered with a lid.

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Mine is in the freezer now, and I can barely wait until it's frozen! :) Giuliana and I will definitely be having some of that later tonight after dinner!




I decided to make a couple batches... strawberry (which tastes like strawberries and cream frappuccino from Starbucks!), and raspberry. :)




Here they are..










So now.. GO, make some of this goodness for the big and little people you love! :) 




Peace-Love- and Frozen Goodness,

Linz :)

 

Warm Granola

Happy Monday! :)

Today was pretty non-eventful. Phil worked this morning and got back this afternoon. He picked us up and we went to the mall so he could get a hot shave at The Art of Shaving before he leaves for Baltimore. That. Place. Is. Fantastic. I was about to ask her if they do legs! ;) ok.. kidding... mostly. :)

So classy, and elegant.

Here's the waiting area...

And of course I had to snap a few of G while we waited. :) LOVE these chairs..

Best way to keep a 20 month old happy..... sugar. :)

She did great waiting on Phil, actually. Which was nice because I really wanted to see how it was done. Totally cool.

Meanwhile... last night while cleaning out my car I found a granola recipe that I had emailed to myself a long time ago. I must have found it online somewhere or something, but regardless.. there it was. I've been wanting to find a good granola recipe for a long time. I tried one a while back with maple sugar and it was awful. Made me feel sick practically after my first taste. WAY too sweet.

This recipe has yummy agave nectar, and it's super yummy.

Mine is actually still in the oven sitting until tomorrow, but I have to admit, I've been sneaking little bites here and there. :)

Here is the recipe...

{Granola}

• 5 c. oats
• 1 c. ground flaxseed
• 2/3 c. agave nectar
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1 t. vanilla
• 4 T. chia seeds
• 1 c. dried cranberries

Mix the last four ingredients together in a large bowl. Once combined add the oats and flax meal.

Spray sheet tray with cooking spray just to ensure nothing sticks.

Bake in a preheated oven at 300F for 10 minutes and then leave granola in oven overnight.

*You could add lots more yummy things in it, but Phil doesn't like a lot going on and I'm giving him some of this to take with him on his road trip.

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In other news.... Tonight after the mall we went out to dinner. I got a salad, which was so yummy, but I ended up getting ranch for it. I probably only just 1 T. on the whole salad, if that, on the huge salad..and then I munched on a couple of Giuliana's fries.

Let me tell you.. I Have the WORST headache now!

Call me crazy, but I think my body was just getting over crap foods, and then even that small little bit made my body mad, and I don't blame it!

However... I reminded myself that I'm doing really good with this and to not let it get me down. I stepped on the scale today and I'm down 4 lbs! In ONE week, and I really do feel better. Inside and out. ..... Minus this migraine.

Well, that's all for now friends... I'm going to go soak up some time with my hubby before I send him on his way.

Peace-Love-& Warm Granola...

Linz

All in a Week

Well, I've got a little sick lady on my hands. :( I swear we have been sick 24/7 since the cold months have started... probably not, but it feels like it. She's just got a runny nose, sleepy more than normal, and a little extra sass. :( I don't blame her for that.. I'm never super chipper and happy when I'm sick either..

I was able to get this shot of her this morning... you'd never know she was sick! :) oh I love her.

So I just realized today that it has been 1 week since I started eating vegan. I've tried a few new things.. learned a lot, and lost 3 lbs! :) I'm not complaining about that at all!

I think I definitely have a lot to learn and am so excited to continue my adventures. :)

Here's to many more weeks of healthy eating and learning! :)

Peace-Love-and Dropping LBS,

Linz

Trader Joe's... I love you.

Hi Friends!

How was your week? Pretty good here.. seems like it went way too fast, as usual!

We're getting ready for lots of things here.. Phil's leaving for Baltimore this week, my mom comes next week, and then a couple weeks after that we are headed to NJ and CT to see family for a few weeks! So So excited about the upcoming events.. except Phil leaving for a while.. but ya know. We'll see him soon. :)

So.. onto healthy things. I've actually been loving the new eating. Believe it or not, I haven't had ANY cravings! Ok... except yesterday when I got a crazy random craving for wavy lays. ha! That soon subsided though and I was able to move past it. ;) ** As I type this I'm watching Giada at Home that I DVR'd today.... of COURSE she is making a double-decker chocolate raspberry cake! **

ANYWAY.. moving on.

So today I went shopping. Another good thing about eating vegan, I am forced into shopping when we need to and I can't just scrounge around for "whatever I can find". That always leads to eating crap.

Oh how I adore Trader Joes... I'm not sure "adore" fits it..... It's just beyond fantastic. Especially now that I'm eating healthier, there are so many great things there! If you haven't been, or don't go often, what are you waiting for?? In fact... you should probably just stop reading this now, and go! :) *please come back to me though, and finish reading!* ;)

Here is my haul form TJ's.

Sorry I didn't take a picture of it once I got it home. Dur. Next Time! :)

I have been looking for a pasta that's better and this one looked great. Just brown rice and water. Can't get much more basic than that!
I got some sun dried tomatoes for a recipe that I'm making this week, along with israeli couscous, pure cranberry juice, a can of black beans, vanilla soy yogurt (which I'm really excited to try in my smoothies this week!), 2 cartons of low sodium veggie broth, a bag of avocados, baking powder, chocolate almond milk, and vanilla almond milk.

I have been looking for a good mix of goodness to put in my coffee because I just can't drink it black. Not my thing, although I would have been forced to do it if I hadn't found this mix. :)

I got the TJ's vanilla almond milk while is SO yummy for coffee.. I also add a little bit of agave nectar. It's the perfect mix! :)

What you can't see in the cart, buried somewhere in there is a meatless "beef". I'm going to try this with taco salads, which I've been craving for about a week now. :) I've heard good things about it, so I thought I'd try it. I also got some soy cheeze, yes, with a Z . :) Hopefully we'll like that too!

Finally those.. Inner Peas. They called my name as I walked past.... I just couldn't ignore them. With a list of ingredients that I could pronounce and totally vegan... They hopped there way into my cart without even asking. :) I didn't scold them.. they looked happy. :)

Let me tell you... worth every penny. Plus, Giuliana LOVES them. I gave her a couple and then tried to go about putting the groceries away.. "Peash-Peash.. Peash" is all she said. ha! Thankfully they're pretty healthy as far as a snack goes, so I gladly handed her a few more. ;)

Now for the Chia seeds. I've heard so much about these and was excited to find them there at TJ's for only a few dollars. I guess I had in my mind that they would be a Whole Foods kind of find, but yay for happy TJ's surprises! :) Lots of Omega-3 and Protein. I opened them and tried them after dinner tonight and they are as good as I hoped. :) They remind me of kiwi seeds which I seriously love. Call me crazy.  I love that kind of hallow seed bite that you get. You'll have to get some and see what I mean.

They'll be going into my smoothies this week as well.. and probably a little bit of everything I make. Seriously, I can't think of anything that little bite won't be good in. :)

Speaking of dinner... Mmm it was yum!

Lemon whole grain pasta with cherry tomatoes and asparagus. It's basically my favorite meal, like ever!

I have realized in the last couple of days that I am going to have to be careful with pasta. It makes my heart happy... a little too happy. Even though it's vegan, it's not going to end up being healthy if I'm eating my weight in pasta! ;) ha! that said.... this dish was amazing, and there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow. :)

Hopefully I didn't bore you with all of this... ha. You probably aren't still reading if I did. Oh well. :) I'll work on it. :)

Tomorrow maybe I'll write about some of the recipes that I'm making this week. I also went to Kroger after Trader Joes. Which is where I got the rest of my things.

At Kroger I was SO excited to see that the Valentines Day candy was 75% off!! Bags of pink, red and white M&M's for only $.97! I'm 300% determined to not touch a single candy... really, truly! What I am excited about is that I am planning on doing a strawberry theme birthday party for Giuliana's 2nd birthday and these puppies are good until October 2013! Score!! This momma likes a sale! :) Into the freezer they went! Now, lets see if I can keep the hubs away from them! ;)

Until next time friends...XO

Peace-Love-and Trader Joes,

Linz <3

Save the Cows!!

Hi Friends--

Thought I would update since it's been a while since. That seems to be a pattern with me, so here we are! :)

So, the latest and the greatest.. I have decided to go vegan. There are many reasons but mostly for health reasons. I have been on "kicks" before where I wanted to eat cleaner, wanted to eat less sugar, wanted to only eat chicken or fish, etc.. and let's not even talk about my New Years resolutions, but I've had enough. I'm over the jumping from this or that idea or way of eating, and I'm really doing it this time.

I want to be healthier.
I want to be more conscious about what I put in my body.
I want to make wish choices when it comes to what I put on the table for my family each night, instead of throwing together a "meat, carb and veggie" meal WAY too often, because.. "that makes a meal".

and I want to be a good example to G in the way that we view foods and treating our bodies.

I am super excited about the changes I expect to see in my life and body. There are so many great foods that I feel I have only just begun to see and taste and I can't wait.

I bought almond milk this week, and I surprisingly LOVE it. I had tried soy milk in the past and wasn't a huge fan, so I was pessimistic about anything that wasn't "the real thing", but it was awesome!

I made vegan cookie bites yesterday, and on my.... YUM! Which reminds me... I think there are 2 left..

Anywho.. :)

Phil and I went to Pei Wei (a quick dine branch of PF Changs) and I got Sesame Tofu.. SO good. Loaded with protein and calcium. delish!


I also bought my first vegan cheese tonight, so I'm anxious to try that on salads for some added healthy goodness :)

All in all... I'm excited about this life change. I'm looking forward to being better to my body, being more thankful for everything God has given us, and taking time to think about how we can make each other better.

I'm doing this for my family too. Phil isn't eating strictly vegan, mostly vegetarian and meat on the weekend. ;) He said he's give it a go if he could "still have his weekends". ;) hehe. of course I agreed.

I feel like as a homemaker and stay at home mom that part of my job is to do the best that I can to make healthy meals. As cliche as it sounds, yes, I feel like a large part of my job lies in the kitchen.
To use my growing knowledge about food to the best of my ability, so that I am providing them with the best.

I'm excited about this. really excited actually.

Today was my second day of eating vegan, and call me crazy, but I feel like I slept SO much better last night than I have in.... I don't even know how long! I also told Phil, it's amazing that after a meal I feel completely satisfied, not bloated and stuff... just full. it's kind of amazing. That could also stem from the fact that I think I'm mildly lactose intolerant. ha, talk about win-win going vegan!

In the meantime.... if you have any vegan recipes or vegetarian recipes that can be tweaked to be vegan, let me know!! I'm all ears and looking for yummy things all the time! THANK YOU Pinterest! ;)

For now.... I'm out. This momma is tired!

Peace~Love~& Almond Milk,

Linz