postcard from a traveling vegetarian

As a vegetarian, the journey for me has been easy. In the beginning it was not so much for those around me to get used to. Sometimes people are not sure that you are for real. But the longer you do something the more people realize and recognize that you are serious. They may not become you, but they respect what you do.

The only thing that potentially can make a vacation go absolutely wrong is not having enough food to eat or simply enjoy...at least for a foodie like me. It is a stress button. Of course I learned to think ahead, tow some fruit/veggies, some ample whole grains, water, and other nutritious pre-packed snacks. The latter is the last thing I will plug into my luggage, but it is a snack better than the alternatives...which are purely junk!

It is a blessing to be understood for who you are and not feel closeted because you are different.

the wedding diet...bootcamp

From June to August registers the most weddings of the calendar year. All of my friends and family were married during the summer. You would think with all of the planning it takes to knock down a date/venue for this time of the year, that the diets would start coming out of winter.

Not!

I will be spending July/Aug teaming and tightening up the bridesmaids and bride for an August nuptial. Now this is not to throw shade, but a little goes a long way when done over a long period of time. The event date fast approaching is enough to stress gain. For those new to exercise, it will feel like torture.

Expect to ache!

Yes I said it. Not only will I be pushed for time to whip some bodies into the best they can be, but will likely be squeezing my workouts within this group training session. With that said, there are some tips to use to get things right, get them tight...

*hydration
*clean eating
*trim and eliminate waste
*cardio...lots of it

My motto is a lifestyle change. However, when you're 'dieting' for an event, you have to go all the way clean. Time is short and that means your body will demand 200% from you to get decent results.

Get ready, get set...let's go!

chocolate chip cookies

I cannot take credit for this recipe. Although I have been baking Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies for years, it was Chef Kendra who inspired me to venture to oat flour to give those cookies that 'je ne sais quoi'. 

The cookies turned out marvelous and my new stand mixer had the pleasure of being the first to test run this amazing recipe. I thought I would share. 

1 c Oat flour (ground this flour from organic hard rolled oats)
1 c flour
1 c + 2 T milk chocolate chips (I used Toll House)
½ c butter (or margarine)
1/3  c brown sugar
1/3  c sugar
1 egg
2 t vanilla extract
½ t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Cream butter and sugar together in a bowl using a hand held electric mixer, or a stand mixer with paddle attachment.

When it’s creamy add the vanilla and egg and blend that in.

In other bowl mix the oatmeal flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly mix the dry into the wet ingredients.

Stir in chocolate chips by hand. 3 T for each cookie, measure out cookies and place on prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Flatten a little bit with your palm. Put baking sheet with cookies in refrigerator for 20 minutes before baking.

Bake for 17-22 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to cook. Enjoy.

3 and 4 years...and going strong

This month marks a few anniversaries for me in my health and fitness challenge. This lifestyle change came with many adjustments in my life. Once I gave up prescription medications, meat, and adopted a regular fitness routine with progressive loading, much changed. Did my colitis and C.O.P.D. magically go away? No. As auto-immune disorders go, they have a resting/dormant or remission. Just when you think "I've got it" the bell is rung and you're symptomatic all over again.

I am grateful however, that although I still have flair-ups, acceptance was the biggest obstacle. Once I declared this battle I would fight for life, the moment came when any think non-traditional was open for inspection. A large part of this change was adopting a physical exercise program that help maintain healthy fat/muscle percentages. I am stronger, more flexible, and run with greater endurance than ever. Considering that we age in time, I think that is a good place to be.

Regular exercise is only about 30% of the battle. The other 70% of maintaining a healthy body composition is eating a nutritious diet. I started with a transition to Pescatarianism then to a full vegetarian. I increased my vegetable, fruits, and legumes. Whole grain breads, rices, and pastas ensure an optimum fiber content.

Many skeptics believed that I would fall. There was no way I could survive on this plan, because after all one needs meat to live. Really? Ask the gorilla. In short, it's 3 years as a non-meat eater and 4 years of physical exercise planning. Life could not be better. It certainly is better now than ever before.

I still see re-starters. I still get asked the same questions by the same people who have watched my physical transformation. I hate to say it but I hide from now...literally. It is not rocket science. I am living proof that change works. My diet is not so strict that it does not allow for cookies, cakes, and pies.

I follow the 80/20 rule. At least 80% of the time I am flying at regulation altitude. My diet and exercise is on point. The other 20% of the time, I am coasting, maintaining, and simply enjoying the foods that I have grown to love over this lifetime. Once I gave up dieting, everything else fell into place.

I encounter many arrogant first-timers who read a few magazine articles, leap on the bandwagon of the latest diet craze, and puff their chests out like they are pros. Until you have practiced it for a few years, then you cannot know what a veteran knows. There is nothing wrong with embracing a lifestyle change, but you cannot live your life on a diet, punishing and berating your entire plan because you ate four cookies, polished off a pizza, or ate cheesecake for lunch.

A lifestyle change means that you have found a way to make allowances for the comforts and rewards in the work and grind. For anyone who has trekked through a year and has come out on the other side, I salute you!

Here's to you as well...

broccoli vegetarian pasta salad

Hot days drive your desire for cooler foods. Here's a salad that you make your very own way. As a vegetarian I of course took the vegetarian route. But you can use chicken breast if you choose. You can substitute other vegetables, such as rainbow peppers, tomatoes, and cucumber.

2 cups tri-color rotini uncooked (cook al dente)

1 cup vegetarian (meatless chicken) strips (about 4-5 pieces)

1-2 cups broccoli cut in pieces steamed (1-2 minutes)

1 T minced garlic

2 T diced red onion

2 T diced celery

1 T minced carrot

¼ c sharp cheddar cheese

Salt, dill weed, black pepper, bacos, and parsley to taste

Preparation. Sautee strips in garlic, cool, then slightly pulse in food chopper.  Mix ingredients. Season to your taste. Chill. Serve with Vegetable Crackers.

You can use coleslaw dressing to your desired taste or make your own.

Dressing:

3 T mayo/salad dressing

1 T sour cream

1 T Caesar Dressing

1 T acv

1 T sugar

1 t honey

dill weed, black pepper

buttermilk cornbread...memories

It was long time since I had the taste of some awesome buttermilk cornbread on my taste buds. A recent fellowship for Memorial Day simply awakened the memories of childhood. It did not take long before I was circling the market for a collection of ingredients that could impress. Finally, I put something together. It was a 'cheat' by my evaluation, because I used a self-rising buttermilk corn meal. I can say for sure, Jiffy corn muffins as my quick-will-do-in-a-rush answer is officially on waivers.

Eventually, I will get to making them with yellow corn meal (...from scratch), but for now I will enjoy my corn muffins with some scrumptious pinto beans, fried cabbage, and Lundberg blend wild rice. The latter has become a huge grain staple in the cupboard. It will not replace my brown rice, which by the way makes some incredibly delicious grain meatballs.

carrot cupcakes w/ butter cream cheese frosting

Carrot Cupcakes:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup walnuts, chopped

¼ cup pecans, chopped

½ cup raisins (place in warm water to soften but drain water before combining)

2 large eggs

2/3 cup granulated white sugar

2/3 cup vegetable, safflower, corn, or canola oil

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (or grated apple or crushed pineapple)

1 1/3 cups finely grated raw carrots (about 1/2 lbs. carrots)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

½ cup butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 ¼ cups confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Carrot Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Lightly butter (or spray with a non-stick vegetable spray) or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

In another large bowl whisk the eggs until lightly beaten, then whisk the remaining wet ingredients including the raisins. Then fold this mixture into the flour mixture until incorporated. Evenly fill the 12 muffin cups with the batter and bake about 20 - 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting: In the bowl of your electric, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until very smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add more confectioner’s sugar if needed. Pipe the frosting on the top of each cupcake. Sprinkle finely ground nuts on top.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate the cupcakes until serving time. The cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.