Semi-wordless Wednesday: Dem arms!

I love it when I see progress!

Baby tris popping! Yeah!  

How?  Yoga, Pilates, and planks.   

How's your progress?

Looking back and forward

Howdy, all.  Your friendly neighborhood Sherrie here.

I struggle with my weight.  You know this because I've shared before.  I'll lose, then regain, then plateau for months at a time.  I've done fasts, extreme diets, and taken supplements.  I've eliminated entire food groups just to see if it would work for me.  I've been stuck on meds for one ailment or another and tried working around the weight gain side effects.  I've nearly starved myself following super low calorie plans in hopes of jump-starting my weight loss.

Bah!  I've messed up my metabolism and irritated my already aggravated system.  I've made weight the central issue instead of my overall health and that had to change. The end of extreme is here and now.  Out are all of the crazy things I've tried in the past.  In come common sense and real food.

Real food from plant sources first are foremost.  I won't tell you that you have to eat like I do, but I will tell you what works and doesn't work for me.  I operate better on plants.  Beans, greens, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, berries, apples, mangoes, avocados, and the rest.  Seeds and nuts are good, too, just not too many.  Olives make me smile and give me a little salty, fatty goodness in a small serving.  And I love my rice, oatmeal, and quinoa.  I just can't have huge plates of those alone.

Am I giving up all the sugar?  Not 100%; at least not yet.  I've cut back a lot over the years and even more over the past few months.  And it feels good. I get more than enough sugar from fruit 98% of the time. That other 1-2% percent? A cookie or something like that.  Or raw vegan cheesecake.  

So, that's my plan in a nutshell.  Not just my plan, but my new and much improved way of life. Are you making any changes?  Tell me about it.  You're not alone.  Not now or ever.

Review: Skinny Jane 7 Day Quick Start

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

You know I like my shakes and smoothies.  They're a quick and easy way to get a nice dose of protein, good carbs, and good fat in a portable format.  I was selected to review a 7 day sample of Skinny Jane's Quick Slim Kit and decided to give it a chance.  It's only a week, right?

For seven days, my day started with Skinny Jane Burn, then a shake, two mini meals, Skinny Jane Cleanse, then dinner.  If the routine seems familiar, it's similar to one many of us followed years ago.

Skinny Jane's Skinny Blend Weight Loss Shake is $39.99 for a 30 shake bag and available in Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Banana.  The whey protein shake blended well and had no chalky texture or aftertaste.  Each serving has 100 calories, 3 grams of fiber, ad 12 grams of protein. 

Skinny Burn, also $39.95, is a powerful supplement that combines raspberry ketones, green tea, caffeine, and other ingredients proven to help boost the metabolism ad burn fat.  I didn't feel jittery and had no problem swallowing the capsules.

Skinny Cleanse is $29.95 for a 30 capsules.  The cleanse is effective and might catch you off guard if you're switching from a primarily lower fiber way of eating.  I generally get a minimum of 50-60 grams of fiber daily and still felt it.

As for the meal plan, I wasn't convinced.  Low calorie plans have bitten me in the butt before, but I was willing to try for a few days.  I had to go back to my usual way of eating after the first day.  I was too cranky and hungry to live with. I kept my menu clean and within my usual calorie range.

At the end of seven days, I'd lost 2 pounds.  That isn't too shabby for someone like me who tends to hold onto weight like crazy, especially when fitness is off the table.  If I'd followed the eating plan, I may have lost more.

If you'd like to give Skinny Jane a try, visit SkinnyJane.com and check out the shop.  The 28 day Weight Loss Challenge Kit is $119 and includes the shake, supplements, goal card, t-shirt, and SkinnyMap.  The SkinnyMap is the program guide complete with meal plans, a fast food guide, motivational tools, and more.

Get a chance to win a kit for yourself.  Just leave a comment about your quest for better health.  

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

  

Happy 2014!

So, what are your health and fitness goals for the new year?

I'll keep on keeping on, even more determined to fix what ails me.  I'm not afraid to speak up or seek additional resources if I don't get the answers I need.  I spent too many years unsure and floundering.  No more!

I'm also done with worrying about how I'm not keeping up with so-and-so. I only need to compete with myself on my fitness journey.  It's mine.  My progress and results are mine.  It's liberating!  Try it!  Just do you!

So in 2014, expect more inspiration for people on all fitness levels, more meal plans, recipes, and general musings here.

Bye for now.  Time for a little snuggling with the dogs as they freak a little at the fireworks outside.  :sigh:

I'm in love with green tea!

Oh, Kiss Me Organics, you had me at hello!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I love tea, especially herbal blends. But sometimes I need a little more kick, and that's when green tea calls me. It has caffeine, but doesn't give me the shakes or upset my stomach like coffee does when I overindulge. As for cooking with green tea, that's new for me. It was, anyway, until Kiss Me Organics asked if I wanted to try their Organic Matcha Green Tea.  Not only did they send the tea, but they included a cookbook and additional recipes.

Why Matcha Green Tea?  It helped me (and others) come out of a coffee addiction without leaving the detox symptoms of quitting cold turkey.  It has antioxidants, boosts metabolism (which helps with the 2 pm slump and calorie burning),

I've enjoyed my Matcha hot, iced, in smoothies, and in green tea soy (and almond milk) lattes.  Kiss Me Organics sent an e-book filled with recipes for drinks, cocktails, dips, baked goodies, and more.  If course, I had to put my own spin on the ones I tried. I made the Refreshing Matcha Cooler (page 16) with raw instead of steamed broccoli, raw beet greens in place of the steamed spinach, raw carrot instead of juice, a lime wedge instead of juice, and almond milk instead of yogurt. Oh man, it was fab!

If I thought my family would go for it, I'd go all out with some of the baked sweets year round.  Come

St.Patrick's Day, a cake or cupcakes with a Matcha non-dairy icing will grace the table.  I know some Chocolate Rum Matcha Truffles (page 35) will hit the table before then.  Striped Pig Distillery's Rum and a coconut cream should work nicely here.

Get your bag from Kiss Me Organics on Amazon for $25.  Kiss Me Organics offers excellent customer service and follows up to share additional recipes and tips. If you don't like it, return it within 30 days for a full, no questions asked refund.

Cheers!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Lentil Shepherd's Pie - vegan, gluten-fee, and cheap

Yeah, it was a win.

I love planned-overs (you know, deliberate leftovers) and prepping ahead for future meals. I've learned to cook large batches of beans and freeze some in quart or gallon-sized bags, chop harder veggies and store for snacking and cooking, and generally try too cook extras most nights because of a teen boy and hungry hubby.  Last night I discovered a mash up of leftovers and pre-prepped veggies and decided to go with something different for us - Shepherd's Pie. The veggie potpie from a few weeks back went over well, so I decided to play with the veggie filling a bit by adding lentils to make a heartier dish. Served with simple mustard greens, dinner was a huge hit.

Lentil Shepherd's Pie

2 cups cooked lentils
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 celery hearts, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup peas
rosemary, thyme, and garlic to taste
TBS soy sauce (gluten-fee, or Tamari. If gluten isn't an issue, use regular or low sodium soy sauce.)
1/2 TBS nutritional yeast
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook lentils and set aside. Saute celery, carrots, and onion in water until soft, then add 1/4 cup water. Stir in herbs, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast; simmer until water reduces. Add lentils and peas, and cook until heated through.

Pour veggies into a prepared 8" or 9" square dish (or whatever casserole dish you have handy) and top with mashed potatoes. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

In place of the herbs, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and 1/4 cup water, use 1/4 cup of your favorite broth or stock.

Have you turned your leftovers into something new?

Semi-Wordless Wednesday: Southen Season is a foodie paradise

Hubby and I finally stopped into Southern Season this past Sunday.  Imagine a cooking school, gourmet grocer, beer and wine shop, coffee shop, kitchenware gift shop, and restaurant under one roof.

So many nut and soy butters, so much time.

Yes, a huge section of just jellies, jams,and preserves.

SC's own Vegetable Kingdom dressings!

Yes, chocolate pumps!  Several options available.

Retro cookie tins ready for filling.  

We didn't eat this time, but will check out Southerly from breakfast, lunch, dinner, or bunch sometime.  Gluten-free and vegan options are available at all serving times.

Have you been to Southern Season  yet?

Semi-wordless Wednesday: Puree Organic Cafe Revisited

Once again,. Puree Organic Cafe proves that vegan organic fare is delicious for veggies and omnis alike.  

Ah, date night.  Sometimes Hubs and I can easily agree on where to dine and sometimes we can't.  When it comes to veggie dining, options on Charleston are growing, but we have our favs and tend to stick with them.  If you haven't noticed, we like Puree Organic Cafe in Mt. Pleasant, SC.  A lot. It's on our short list of vegetarian places in town that hubby really likes. We stopped in to try to new dinner menu and were thrilled with the results.  

Instead of his beloved Deep South, Hubby went with the Rainbow Row ($21).  

Old Charleston Spice braised seitan, with sautéed collards, mini corn cakes, and sweet onion jam.
If you want seitan, this is the place to get it.  Seriously.  Go get some.

I opted for the Eggplant Parmesan ($18).  

House-made almond Ricotta and gluten-free pasta made it my first choice. 

Of course we had coffee and desert. Almond, soy, and coconut milk are options. 

Hubby's Coconut Crème Brulée ($9) was yummy. 

My Mexican Chocolate Cheesecake from Unbaked was fantastic!   

We met Chef and she was as friendly and delightful as well. See why we like it?  It was all even better than it looks.  Clean, gluten-free, organic eats from people who love what they do. Check the conversation on Facebook.  We're not the only ones who love them.  



   

Happy Herbivore Light & Lean is coming!

I've made no secret of my love for Happy Herbivore Lindsay Nixon.  I found the blog while searching for cleaner and lighter vegan alternatives for the food I love.  Her cookbooks are my go-to when someone asks me for healthy recipes and I've picked up her meal plans from time to time.  Her twists on Southern favorites are loved by the omni family, too, and as I've mentioned before, pleasing the man and boy is not always easy.

When Lindsay made the announcement about her newest book, I pre-ordered it (In March) and scored!  I receive an excerpt with 14 recipes and a bonus book.

Happy Herbivore Light & Lean includes more of the low fat,whole food vegan recipes I love and workout plans. If you pre-ordered,you've seen some of the goodness this book has in store.  The Meatloaf Bites and Carol's Cabbage Soup are particularly yummy.  If you're looking for something sweet, her Blueberry Yogurt Muffins are a delight.  Pair one with fruit or hash browns for breakfast, snag one for a snack with coffee or tea, or have it for dessert.  

For the blog tour, I asked Lindsay three questions about her her favorite forms of exercise and her advice for someone new to the clean plant-based way of eating.  

Me:  In your blog you mention snowboarding a lot.  Besides hitting the board, what is your favorite type
of exercise?

LN: I go hiking almost every day when it's not winter. I also really enjoy yoga year-round.

Me:  That's great!  I love yoga, too. Finding activities I love helps me look at exercise as fun and not a chore. Now on to making a change in general.  Do you have any advice for someone just making the change from a sedentary lifestyle and SAD to active and whole food plant-based?  Should he/she go all in or take it one step at a time?

LN:  I can't recommend the meal plans enough!  Or my 3-day reboot or 10-day cleanse immersion 
 program. Every person is different. I find most people have the best success doing
 a 180-approach, just rip off the band aid, as I say. Other people need a more gradual approach. Make every meal you can a healthy plant-based one, and start walking on your lunch break. Start with 5 minutes if you have to, then add on. Then start walking in the morning before work. Little by little!

Me:  I thought I was a 180-degree person, but with the family I've found it easier to make gradual changes. Converting their favorite recipes is sometimes a challenge.  Have you converted all of your favorite foods into whole food goodness?  How difficult was it?

LN:  Yes! Some recipes proved more challenging than others but for the most part everything has translated quite beautifully and many times, I like the new healthy version way better.

Appreciate your time, Lindsay - thanks!

While I recover and figure out how to get into a sustainable workout routine, eating clean helps me keep on track.  If you want affordable, easy, clean, quick, and delicious recipes with wide appeal, check out the Happy Herbivore blog and books.  Light & Lean is going to be awesome!  Get a sneak peek on Amazon and keep your eyes open for more from me on the recipes.

 

Playing with booze at Charleston's Striped Pig Distillery

Hi.  I'm Sherrie and on occasion I really like my booze.  Vodka is my usual first choice, but rum, wine, and a good pint work equally well.  Hubby and I were fooling around one Saturday afternoon and decided to stop by Charleston's first distillery since Prohibition for a tour. We went for the tour and left with a bottle. 

Striped Pig Distillery opened earlier this year with plans for a grand opening shortly.  The beautiful facility is open to the public (21 and up) from 3-7 pm Wednesday though Friday and noon-5 for tours and tastings.  We were warmly greeted by Todd and our tour started. 

How gorgeous is this still?

Reclaimed wood and lots of light are everywhere.  Ingredients are in plain sight, too. Local non-GMO corn and molasses from Savannah are right there for us to see.  We learned how finely they mill the grains, how long each batch takes, and how excited they are about their products.  After a little ooh-ing and ahh-ing, we moved on to the bar for the main event.

Love the focal point!  A local artist whipped it up.

 

 

Neat bar table, eh?

We tried the Striped Vodka, Striped Shine, and Striped Rum. We started with my beloved vodka.  I liked the flavor and warmth. Striped shine is straight-up moonshine, but with a cleaner taste than expected.  It burned so good.  Rum is something I usually mix, but I easily drink Striped Pig's Striped Rum straight up. It is the best rum I've had to date. 

After all was said and done, we decided we had to have a bottle of limited edition rum.  Sorry if 43 is your lucky number because that one is ours. 

Swing by and pick up your favoite spirit from 10-7 pm Monday through Friday and noon until 5 on Saturday.  Remember, the tour schedule is different from the store hours during the week. Shoppers have t-shirts, barware, and spirits to choose from. I see booze as holiday gifts this year.  

Follow Striped Pig Distillery on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates on events like their packing party.   We're sorry we missed that one. 

Cheers!

What's shaking? More Vegg, lentils, and other food stuff.

The Summerville, SC area apparently.  Another couple of quakes hit this past week.  Neat, eh?

Other than quakes, it's the same old except in the kitchen.  I'm playing with The Vegg still and loving it more. The french toast and tofu scramble with cheesy grits were awesome!  And easy!  I didn't follow recipes from The Veg Cookbook, but used it in my usual recipes.

Tofu scramble and grits with Vegg, nutritional yeast, garlic, a little Earth Balance,
and hot sauce.  Yeah, baby! 

French Toast made with Vegg, homemade raw cashew milk,
cinnamon, and turmeric.  Agave Nectar-topped with fruit on the side.  

Tonight is breakfast for dinner night, a family fav.  Pancakes, grits, scrambles (eggs for them, tofu for me), roasted potatoes, pear compote, and gluten-free cinnamon rolls are on the menu.  And yes, Vegg will play a role in there.

Today (and tomorrow) the plan is to play with lentils.  I'm challenging myself to come up with several ways to use them without making hubby bored.  So far, lentil soup/stew, curry served with greens, lentil loaf, shepherd's pie, and lentil 'meatballs' with marinara come to mind.  I'l let you know how it goes.

For now, I'm out.  I am so stoked that I get to play with food for a living and for fun.  Feeling lucky, that's me!

Ahh, Vegg. Nummy goodness.

So I received a package The Vegg Cookbook and a package of Vegg.  I wasn't sure what I could do with it before I started playing with it, but so far, so good.

Hubby and the Boy don't always care for my vegan goodness when tofu is a main ingredient, but last night they tore into my experiment.  I had Soyrizo on hand I needed to finish up and wanted a grab and go breakfast besides overnight oats or chia pudding,  A breakfast casserole seemed perfect, so I went for it.

Soyriso Vegg Breakfast Casserole

2 TBS Vegg
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used homemade raw cashew milk)
1 lb.firm tofu, divided
4 oz. Soyrizo (Trader Joe's version is gluten-free)
3 small or one large potato, diced
1 medium onion, diced

Preheat oven o 350 degrees.  Blend Vegg and milk, then add 1/2 of the tofu and blend until smooth. Saute potatoes and onion until browned.  Add tofu and cook until heated through.  Add potato mixture to an 8x8 glass dish and pour Vegg mixture over it.  Stir to combine, then bake for 30 minutes.

Inhaled by a tofu-hating teen boy and tofu-tolerating husband.  I call that a win.

What I'm reading these days

Your friendly neighborhood Sherrie has a cookbook problem. I know it and own it.  I read them like novels and can tear through one in a couple of days.  I also have a money problem, so I pick most of my books up from the library, Mr. K's (used and new, but always cheap), and free Kindle books (for reading on my Kindle app).  I've wanted to hold books more than reading text on a screen lately, so I've hit the library practically every week. Here's a sample of what I've gone through in August alone.

I first heard of Angelica Home Kitchen thanks to an early 90's copy of Vegetarian Times.  Back then I was playing with the idea of he veggie life and loved the idea of a all veg restaurant. Good book, great recipes.   

This one needs no intro.  I checked it out for more ideas on healthy whole food vegan goodness.  I like it, but don't think I need to add this one to the permanent collection. 

Between the abundance of rain, a bad spine summer, and crazy schedules,  our garden is a sad, bare wasteland.  Except for mint and huge tomato plants which may or may not bear fruit.  Microgreens, baby vegetables, and sprouts, oh my!

And, you know, I cannot leave anything these two touch unread.  And hubby is a pie addict.  Vegan versions of his beloved blueberry, pecan, and key lime pies will be mastered! At some point.

No pictured are Crazy Sexy Kitchen and Crazy Sexy Diet.   I have the Kindle versions, but can't spend all my time looking a a screen.

So, what are you reading?

My stalker

I cannot leave the room without this guy following.  If I close a door, he waits patiently for me to open it.  He literally lean against me when I lose my balance and keeps me upright on wonky days.  On painful days (like the past few days), he snuggles when I need it and just watches to make sure I'm ok.

Or maybe I'm giving him too much credit.  He's a goofy ball of love. Good boy, Victor.

Still here

I'm around, but not as active here as I should be.  New posts are on the way.

Oh, the food! Semi-Wordless Wednesday

We eat well around here!  Y'all jelly?  :-)