This Must Be Harvet Time For Blog Giveaways!

Chocolate Covered Katie is giving away a covetable spiralizer or magic bullet... AND participating in a fundraiser called Operation Chocolate Covered Kindness.

Click around her (awesome) website to help her raise some funds! :D

She also is making me want to make little cashew fudge babies.

In exercise-related news, I did Arms and Shoulder instead of what was actually scheduled... but it's still the third week of my last phase. I'm so excited!

Ice Cream

I'd never call myself a vegan, but between my personal taste in "daily meals" (I like them lite, filling, and in huge portions), finances (low), aversion to cooking meat (high), and allergy to dairy (much lamented), love of vegetable and fruit (much enjoyed), and (embarrassingly moderate) distrust of the FDA's ability/willingness to regulate meat, I pretty much eat that way by default.

Like many people who actually are legitimately vegan, I don't find that I miss a lot. Sometimes I go in for cheese, but for the most part it doesn't occur to me to crave them, because it hurts me.

All that being said, I still went in for a scoop of vanilla ice cream with "bumble berry pie" at the Blues Traveler concert. I escaped unscathed, but I do sorta miss vanilla ice cream as a counterpoint to apple pie.

...but soy based vanilla ice creams tend not to do it for me. Maybe it's just my neurosis, but soy ice creams have sort of a waxy, oily, thing going on, which I do not love. It's forgivable in some flavors -like chocolate- but vanilla takes a hit.

So when Gena at Choosing Raw had a post about vegan, coconut-based ice cream in NYC.... AND a Ice-Cream give away, you know I was all about it.

Everyone go check it out.

Day Four, Phase Three

Move over, El Mejor Pistolero, because the new love of my life is this:Ok, so that's a damn dirty lie- how could smokey miso tofu replace a man who is refining the process of making steel-cut oats overnight in a crock-pot? It can't, of course, but as with every good lie there is an element of truth, and that is that smokey miso tofu is my favorite thing to have for lunch. I've had it pretty much every school day for two weeks. The wonderful incredible recipe is here at the wonderful VeganYumYum blog. I'm looking forward to getting the VeganYumYum cookbook in my next round of cookbook purchases.

In case anyone was wondering, I enjoy my miso tofu on a thin whole0wheat bun with Trader Joe's ailoli mustard, a slice of soy-pepper jack cheese, spinach, and some avocado if I have it kicking around.

In case anyone else was wondering, other items on my cook-book list are:
Raw Food Real World, Living Raw Food, Vegan Comfort Food, The Thirty Minute Vegan, The Voluptuous Vegan, and How to Eat, which has nothing to do with vegan/raw food whatsoever!

Otherwise, I'm pretty pooped today because of the usual rumblings and tumblings from my upstairs neighbors keeping me up all night. The most maddening thing about it is that they aren't even DOING anything. They are just living a normal life up there. I know because I can hear every footfall. I need to get a white-noise maker or something. I'd like to get a little more high tech a solution than just sleeping with a pillow over my head. Which I do.



Oh. I almost forgot.

The OTHER reason I'm tired is that I actually got up at 7am today (hooray!) and did Shoulders and Arms (hooray)! Other good news is that I'm definitely ready for heavier weights, for that video anyhow. I've been using 8lb weights for most of it, and though it used to be a struggle, it really isn't anymore. The Notorious EMP has a pair of ten lbs hanging around his house for me... I'm looking forward to giving those a try.

As if P90X wasn't enough, I also had a pilates class at ten. As if P90X and pilates weren't enough, I also have a (light) yoga class after work that I'm really actually looking forward to.

I miss yoga when I don't make it to the studio. Sure, theoretically I can do it with a video, but that's still untested since I've never actually done it. Though I do have access to yoga DVDs.

I'm just set in my ways, ok?

Another thing I want to do is to find time (somehow, probably not that often though to be frank) to start jogging, and to find a way to jog that dose not result in horrible shin splints. One of my roommates is a runner, and her immediate suggestion was to not run in hiking boots. Well. Maybe I'll give that a try if it is at all nice this weekend.

I know I used to squeeze the elliptical into my day, but for the life of me I can't imagine how. It's going to work out that phase three is going to end right around the end of my semester, so I'm thinking there will be a lot of yoga, elliptical, and (finally!) rock climbing this winter before I get back into the P90X saddle with Tony and The Kids.

At This Point, Day Numbers Seem a Little Meaningless

Wouldya look at that waffle? If that isn't a thing of beauty I don't know what is.

Also (though this is totally irrelevant to the waffle iron that made that cutie), the recipe is vegan. I'm not really vegan (I will probably switch the egg-replacer for some local/free range eggs) but I'm always appreciative of hot breakfast food that doesn't give me dairy cramps and isn't an omelet.

...On the other hand, using flax as the binder probably will make it fluffier... plus add flax. Always a plan of the flax.

Image and recipe from The GirlieGirl Army.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 1/2 large banana
• 2 Tbsp flax egg-replacer*
• 4 Tbsp agave nectar
• 1 cup rice milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• pinch of salt
• canola baking spray (for waffle iron)
• maple syrup to taste
• Toppings!

DIRECTIONS:
* To make Flax Egg Replacer, simply combine Flax Seed and Water in a 1 to 2 ratio in a blender, until thick.

1. In a bowl, mash the banana until smooth.
2. Add the flax, agave nectar, and vanilla.
3. In a larger mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
4. Pour rice milk into the flour mixture, stirring with a fork.
5. Add the apple cider vinegar.
6. Add in the banana flax mixture from the other bowl.
7. Mix well.
8. Spray your iron lightly with the canola spray, and add the batter when hot!

ANYWAY.

I've skipped the protein shake in the morning and even though drinking it made me feel annoyingly full, I really notice a difference in my sluggatude by 3:30. I don't wanna mooove. And this is true even though I'm in love with the new yoga teacher.

Maybe I'll invest in a nice thermos so I can take my cold soy milk shake to school with me and sip it throughout the day. And by invest, I mean "finally use the one I made my mom buy me from barnes and noble".

The only thing is that I hope that drinking it later in the day doesn't decrease my appetite during the day, only to make me hungrier later at night. When I was eating like a bird during the day I'd often over-eat later (though I didn't ever really feel "hungry" during the day). Now with the big breakfasts I'm often under my calorie goal in the evening, even though the goal has been reduced.

It will also give me one MORE potentially spillable thing to carry. I'm already toting too much stuff as it is. :-/

In other news... I'm hungry again, and I'm going to try to eek out a twenty minute jog at the gym. I didn't even bother to change out of my workout clothes today!

The Next Great Devour

I am very excited about the prospect of cooking THIS and THIS sometime soon!

Dutch Baby (stolen directly from One Frugal Foodie)

Healthy Wheat-Free / Dairy-Free Dutch Babies

This recipe is Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Wheat-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Low Sugar, Relatively Low in Fat, and optionally Gluten-Free (seek out some of those certified gluten-free oats)

• 1 Cup Rolled Oats (can sub 1 cup of your flour of choice)
• 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup Regular or Unsweetened Milk Alternative (I used unsweetened coconut milk beverage from Turtle Mountain – it was on sale! Rice, Almond, or Hemp Milk should also work well)
• 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup, Honey, or Agave Nectar (I used pure maple syrup)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 Medium Eggs, brought to room temperature if you have time
• ½ Tablespoon Coconut Oil or Dairy-Free Margarine (I used coconut oil)

Preheat your oven to 425ºF

Place half of the oats in a spice / coffee grinder and whiz for about 30 seconds, or until the oats turn into a flour. Repeat with the remaining oats. I believe this can also be done in a food processor, but it is so quick, easy, and clean in a cheap little spice grinder ($15 at the grocery store!), why bother.

Sift the oat flour and salt into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk in the milk alternative, sweetener, and vanilla, stirring until everything is well combined.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time until incorporated.

Put the coconut oil or margarine in a 9″ pie plate, cast iron pan, or similarly sized baking dish, and place it in the oven for a few minutes, or until the oil / margarine is melted and the pan is good and heated.

Removed the dish (with a pot holder!) and swirl the oil / margarine around a bit to coat. Pour in the egg batter, pop it in the oven, and leave it be for 25 minutes.

The batter will climb up, swelling a bit like a souffle (it is really fun to watch). When you take it out of the oven, it will deflate …

Spicy Black Bean Coconut Soup (hijacked from GirlieGirl Army)

INGREDIENTS:

2 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1-2 T fresh oregano, chopped or 2-3tsp. dried
1 tsp. sea salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
2-3 carrots, diced
1 bell pepper (red or green), diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 whole sprigs cilantro
2 cans black beans
2-3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 can coconut milk (taste of thai brand is best; lo fat or regular)
handful of cilantro, chopped

MAKE IT:

1. Heat olive oil on medium high heat in bottom of pot. Add onions, sautee until transluscent. Add garlic. Add oregano, 1 tsp. of salt, and cayenne. Sweat for 1 minute.

2. Add carrots, sautee for 2-3 minutes until carrots soften slightly. Add bell pepper, celery, and cilantro springs. Sautee for 1 minute.

3. Stir in beans and mix well. After combined, add all of the stock or water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/medium low. Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary.

4. After the beans have simmered about 7-10 minutes, add half of the coconut milk, adding more until you have a consistency and flavor you like. Simmer covered for 20 or so minutes, stirring occasionally and testing for seasonings, and adding more stock/water/coconut milk to taste.

5. The soup is ready when the beans are very tender and melt in your mouth! (Though you could technically eat it after the coconut milk has mixed in and heated through).

Add other vegetables if you’d like, and be careful with the cayenne– it gets hotter as you cook it, so don’t add too much in the beginning– if anything, add it at the end!

Food Porn

....ugh.

After three days of eating like a lunatic I am porning out on all these vegan/raw food websites. Its funny that despite my burger-love vegan eating and raw food really appeal to me.

Back in my Prescott College days I ate a mostly vegan diet (supplemented by the veggie co-op, dumpster diving and my girlfriend-at-the-times own preferences) while sneaking the occasional Carl's Junior Low Card $6 Burger.

You know I loved it. And I also love making my food fresh out of (mostly) whole ingredients.

I've also been forgetting my vitamins. Its incredible how quickly I've noticed the difference. P90X tires me out, but I think the lethargy has everything to do with what I have-and haven't- been putting in.

I'm really looking forward to this beauty:

...which came to my attention via the lovely Eat. Run. Do Yoga., which I happily stumbled across at the (very) beginning of my P90X journey.

The loveliness above is composed of the following (stolen DIRECTLY from Eat. Run. Do Yoga.):

Here’s what you do:

1. Cut up two bananas into 1 inch chunks and toss into a plastic bag. Store the bananas in your freezer for at least three hours
2. Put the frozen bananas into your food processor and whirl away for about 4-5 minutes.
3. TA DA! Now you have a creamy, low cal, low fat, raw, vegan, delicious treat for two! I added a few blueberries and a drizzle of Bees n Blossoms honey. You could also mix together agave + cocoa powder for a chocolatey topping, or my favorite - pb2!

I really love her blog because I feel like it will help me keep my yoga momentum till I can physically be there again. I'm planning on working my hot yoga classes back into my schedule after next week.

And maybe developing a more regular practice will help my sleeping. I've really been having a hard time with that lately and in addition to frying my mind I'm certain its not helping me lose these extra pounds.

Anyway, here is my raw/vegan wishlist:

Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes

Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy

The Voluptuous Vegan: More Than 200 Sinfully Delicious Recipes for Meatless, Eggless, and Dairy-Free Meals

The Healthy Hedonist: More Than 200 Delectable Flexitarian Recipes for Relaxed Daily Feasts

...and, well, the rest.
Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (Plus)
Sex Pots: Eroticism in Ceramics
The Wordy Shipmates

and in music:
Bed Spring Poker: Meat in Motion 1926-1951 <---(naughty music)