chick pea - sweet potato - mushroom curry

Happy middle of the week! Had a wonderful relaxing evening at home last night with the husband.  Even whipped up a wonderful dinner, two thumbs up on this one! I served mine over brown rice, but you could do quinoa or even some tofu noodles if you'd like.

Chick Pea - Sweet Potato - Mushroom Curry

over coming diy laziness

What do you do when you are unable to wear your running shoes and workout for a couple weeks?

Get organized with DIY projects that are started and NOT finished yet!  I have to say, I am really good at starting projects and not finishing them.  Do you find yourself doing the same thing??  I feel like I accomplished the weight loss, to accomplish a few other things would be nice.

I work full-time, married, two kids, (now) five dogs - I'm one busy chick with a needed five more hours added to my day!  So, today I made a list of things that I need to accomplish in hopes that I'll be able to check them all off soon.  My list:

• Dog Room (this is a long to do list, but need to get started). We have cleaned out the room that use to be my den (scrapbook room) and will be our kick butt dog room soon! My goal just this week is to finish cleaning everything up, box it up and this weekend pull out the carpet.
• Finish up End Table to Dog Bed project. Still have lots of painting, putting on the hardware and make the inside dog cushion.
• Make Steelers tee-shirt (from Rome, but way too big) into a cool skirt for football season!
• Learn how to make cool dog collars for my pups!
• Finish Avery's Memory Box to hang up.

Okay, my full detailed list is MUCH longer than this one but it gives you an idea.  Just like with weight loss it is so easy to get caught up in everyday life and lose sight of the goal or finished project.  How many times do we tell ourselves, "Oh, I'll start eating better Monday." "Next week I will start going to the gym."
I know I have found what works best for me is a list -  something about checking them off makes me feel so accomplished!  Even with living a healthy lifestyle I will made daily goals of going to the gym, making a healthy meal, etc. Writing it out just really helps keep me on track.

food flops and joys

Flop
Not always do new recipes workout when you try them.  For me this weekend it was my Avocado Vegan Ranch Dressing and Almond Butter.  The dressing - just doesn't taste very good and the Almond Butter - never got creamy, just crumbles.  Crap happens, and you just go on to the next recipe. Just not sure if I can choke down the rest of my salad sitting here next to me today lol.

Joy
I did make Chocolate Chunk Raspberry Vegan Muffins that were YUM.  I do want to play with the recipe and cut out the oil and sugar some.  I also made my favorite Vegan Mac & Cheese for our family potluck on Sunday night.  I didn't tell anyone it was vegan, and let me just say - there was NONE left to bring home!

Other good food this weekend was dinner Friday night after getting my "Avery" tattoo.  I have only eaten at Pei Wei maybe twice in my life, but my husband was telling me a vegan co-worker of his said many of the dishes can be made with tofu instead of meat, well heck I had to try that out!  Before leaving work I got online to check out the menu so I could call it in and know what I wanted.  After my tattoo I called in at about 5:30ish and it was about a 30 minute wait, so what do you do? Ann Taylor Loft next door?  Hey, I'm shopping! Was beyond thrilled with my great sale purchase - $22 for some super cute dress capris AND in a size FOUR!!  Win-win for sure!  Dinner was also well worth the 30 minute wait!

Oh, and my Avery tattoo - I love it soooooooooooooo much!!  The grey shading around it will go down some with time, but it will remind me of my sweet Avery and he'll forever be at my feet.  You can also see Steeler peaking his head out from under my foot.  LOL!

Since I am unable to wear my running shoes for a couple of weeks I really need to watch my diet and keep it clean - sadly no more Chocolate Chunk Raspberry Vegan Muffins...sigh....  I also need to focus on at-home type of exercise I can do.  Also thinking it's a good time to get some projects done! 

Have you had a time when you were unable to do your normal workouts?  What did you do to keep on track during that time?

spicy tofu quinoa lettuce wraps

I have also been so excited seeing photos of the gals who have purchased my online tee shirts and wearing them!!  I feel like I have somewhat gotten back to my old designing roots.

Need to get back into my running.  This muggy weather, even inside the gym, just doesn't sit well with me. I will also be getting a tattoo in honor of my dog Avery who passed away one week ago today....and, it's going on my foot (appointment is tomorrow!!).  So, no running shoes for awhile.  I have plenty of equipment to workout at home with while barefoot, just need to take that tattooed foot and kick myself in the behind with it!! 
Yesterday I picked up Avery's remains along with a beautiful paw print impression they did for me. My plan this weekend is to put together a lovey shadowbox of memories to hang on our family photo wall.

Was a little surprised with myself that I was so motivated to make dinner last night, as I was just cooking for myself.  I'll admit, I love making a mess in the kitchen.  The more dirty dishes there are, the better!  Last night I was in slice-dice-and cook it up mode!!

Spicy Tofu Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

the redheads guide to eating out vegan

Back in March when my husband and I wanted to both eat right (vegan) and lose some weight, we played it safe by eating at home.  Cooking at home is the best way for really controlling what you are putting into your body - down to the very last ingredient.  However, there does come that day that you have to leave the safety of your home and venture out into the real world...and by real world I mean a non-vegan restaurant.

There is always that worry, what if I eat something that was cooked in butter or what if I just can't stand the temptation and eat that chicken wing (my husband worried about this one).  One place we really missed eating at was our local pizza & beer pub (our daughter works there too!).  Will we be shunned when we order our pizza without cheese? Deep breath in, and place order.  Yeah, no one cared.  Heck one of the owners went on to tell us that he's been juicing trying to lose weight.  No one came running out of the back yelling, "NO PIZZA FOR YOU!!" They just served us our veggie-cheeseless-pizza and we enjoyed our meal.

We have been eating out more and more, still making smart choices along the way.  And, we are finding it to be easier and easier!  It actually feels good to be back in the "real world" and not afraid any more!

Here are a few eating out tips:

 

1. Before going out research the menu online if you can.  This way you can make your smart choices before you even step foot inside.  Sometimes online they might list a vegan menu as well.
2. Don't be afraid to ask for no cheese or does the item contain any cheese, dairy, etc.?
3. If you really think they may give you attitude, tell them you have an allergy to cheese (or meat, dairy, etc)  - the would rather leave it off than kill you...at least I would hope to think so! LOL!
4. Look at just ordering side dishes if there is really nothing for you to choose from.  Most places have lots of good veggie side dishes that would make a great meal when put together.
5. Give yourself the 2% rule, maybe something is cooked in butter...maybe the bun has dairy in it, etc.  You can't control what goes on behind closed doors, so don't beat yourself up.

What works for you when eating out?
 

Other News From This Redhead

Yes, orders have been shipped this week!  Don't forget to stop by my online store and pickup something to show YOUR Vegan pride!!

Remember to keep watching for my first giveaway!  So excited!!  I know, I keep teasing about this, soon I promise!!

Think I am going to take this evening off from the gym.  Have a few things I would like to get done around the house and a new recipe I hope to share here soon!  I also received a call that Avery's ashes have come in.  Not sure I am ready to pick them and his paw print up this evening.  I have been looking at different options for his ashes, and really hope to find something special for them.  Moving forward...moving forward, this is what I keep telling myself. 

I was surprised that this tragedy never lead me to eat outside of my vegan beliefs.  Did I want beer, yes.  Junk, yes - but it was vegan bread and almond butter I wanted.  Does help when you have a good man by your side as well - thank you to my wonderful husband xoxo
 

Smoky Fiesta Black Bean Tamales & gym etiquette

This weekend I made my very first batch of tamales EVER and VEGAN tamales at that! I have always heard horror stores about how long the process is to make tamales, so it's something I had never dared to try before, but dang, this recipe looked pretty easy.  Next time I will be TRIPLING this recipe and freezing these babies UP! They did not last long at our house and were amazing with a little fire roasted salsa on top.  When shopping for the corn husk you should be able to find them with the salsa and Mexican spices (when not in season).  I bought mine at Wal-Mart and they worked out great.  One change I made, I did not add carrot, but corn instead.  You could really play around with the ingredients on this one and the spices.  All I can say is, "OMG, these were AMAZING!!" Normally I am not much of a tamale lover, but these had SO much flavor!!

Smoky Fiesta Black Bean Tamales

From: The Vegan Husband

Ingredients

2 cups masa harina

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 sweet onion, diced small

1 large carrot, diced small

1 red bell pepper, diced small

1 can diced green chiles or 1 Anaheim pepper, diced

2 minced garlic cloves

1 T. baking powder

1 1/2 t. sea salt

1 T. nutritional yeast

1-2 t. liquid smoke (depending on your preference)

1 t. red chili flakes

1 t. mesquite powder (optional)

1 C. cashews (soaked for 4-6 hours if you don’t have a power blender)

1 1/4 C. water

20 dried corn husks

quinoa summer salad & getting back to life

I have been missing from my blog the last few days.  Those of you who follow me on Facebook know that on Thursday I unexpectedly lost my handsome 5 year-old Cavalier, Avery.  It was very sudden and I am slowly dealing with having to let him go.  Very thankful to my husband who took great care of me this weekend.  I have to thank Avery for coming into my life.  He was my first Cavalier and without him I would have never gotten involved with the Cavalier Rescue Foundation and help save so many Cavaliers. Avery was the perfect Cavalier and could never be replaced. I was blessed to have him in my life, even if only for five short years.

So, today I am playing catch up.

Giveaway!
Yes, shortly I will be doing my first blog giveaway!  So exciting, as it will be something from one of my favorite jewelry makers!!  This is being custom made just for us.  Stay tuned for updates!!

Etsy Store Orders
All orders placed last week are shipping today!  If you have not checked out my online store, please stop by and take a look around!

Quinoa Summer Salad

mushroom & onion chimichangas - and vegan failure?

Wow, first I have to say my Etsy Vegan Redhead a Running Online Store is rockin! I have been adding cell phone cases and other items, with still MORE items to come.  Thank you to everyone who has purchased from me.  My goal is to get everything shipped out as quickly as possible.

Today I have a little bit of this and that to chat about, but hey lets start with some FOOD!  I think last Friday on Facebook someone linked a non-vegan Chimichanga recipe that looked good, but would taste BETTER being vegan.  I couldn't get it out of my mind, so Saturday for lunch I was on a mission to make a vegan (and healthy) Chimichanga!   The guacamole cream sauce I made to top them with....omg, to die for!  You'll find that recipe here as well. These also made great leftovers the next day.

Mushroom & Onion Chimichangas

Ingredients
1 Yellow Onion, sliced
2 Cups Mushrooms, sliced
2 T. Vegetable Broth (or more as needed)
2 T. Garlic (I cheat and use the jar kind)
1 Small Can of Diced Green Chilies
1 15.5 oz. Can Black Beans, drained
1 t. Garlic Powder
1 t. Cumin
1 t. Black Pepper
5 Whole Wheat Lavash (or tortillas)

Heat over to 350 degrees.  Over med-high heat add vegetable broth to your skillet and sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add more broth if needed, but not to much. Stir in black beans, green chilies and spices. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until warm.

new store OPEN & tofu edamame toasted lavash wraps

YES, my online store is now open and running!  Please check back often as I plan on adding more product.  Over all, I am very excited to share my "vegan" love with everyone!  Please let me know if there is something not on the store you are interested in, as I am more than happy to create a custom order for you. Having worked professionally in the scrapbook business creating product and writing a couple of books, being creative again feels sooooo good!

On to food...
One of my favorite lunch mixes I like to whip up on the weekends is my tofu edamame mix...LOVE it! Works great on whole wheat bread, over spinach & sprouts (my favorite) or wrapped up and toasted in lavash!  What is great about this also, you can add what you want to it.  Not sure I ever make it exactly the same lol.  Enjoy!

 

 

Tofu Edamame Toasted Lavash Wraps

roasted garlic & olive hummus - tee shirts for sale soon!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I don't think I left the kitchen this weekend, but I enjoyed every yummy item I whipped up!!  I made everything from a wonderful tofu scramble to roasted garlic & olive hummus!  My kitchen was a rockin' that's for sure!!

Friday night I finally got my "Vegan" tattoo (you can kind of see on my right arm)!!  I am so in love with the design that I had it printed on a tee shirt at work.  My shirt went over so well on Facebook that YES I will be adding an online store THIS week!!  I will be adding the design in different style/colors of tee shirts and also on iPhone covers as well!  Check back often for updates as to when the store is open and live!  Please also let me know if you have ideas you would like to see it printed on as well.  Thanks to my job I can offer lots of great options!! I wore mine Sunday, makes me so happy!

Now on to great food!!  This hummus has TONS of flavor.  You can add more/less of the roasted garlic and olives to fit your taste.  This had to be the most flavorful hummus I have ever made!  You will also find my cracker recipe below that are oil free as well.  To roast your own garlic check out the Pioneer Woman for directions, very easy to do!  I roasted up a bunch to use in a few other recipes as well.

Roasted Garlic & Olive Hummus (oil free)

Making the transition from meat-eater to vegan: the 101 redhead guide

Please note I am not a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist – just a redhead who found the love of being vegan.  I was asked by a reader to share my tips for making the transition from meat-eater to vegan.  So this is my basic 101 redhead guide:

Become Informed

First thing is knowledge.  You can go out and buy all the “vegan” crap food you want but you’re missing the boat if you are still buying all processed food (vegan or not).  Netflix is a great source for watching videos.  I would suggest KnifesOver Forks and Vegucated to start with.  The only down fall I had with Vegucated was they pushed the processed “vegan” food and I felt they could have shown better options.
Next hit the bookstore.  If you love detail and love to read check out The China Study.  If you prefer a quick read then try The Engine 2 Diet and My Beef With Meat.  My husband and I liked the quick read better lol. I have also just started reading Vegan For Her (can I tell you I no longer have hot flashes being vegan, sweet huh?).
Blogs and Facebook are a great place to search out places to read more information. Find the vegan ones that speak to you.  Some are pretty hard core vegan sites, don’t let something scare you off. When I first started I wanted to know more about starting out and raising a vegan family. Get ready to be asked, “So, where do you get your protein from?” from pretty much everyone.  Funny, before becoming vegan no one seemed to care where I got my protein from.  Hummm…

diet vs. lifestyle

March 24, 2013 was THE day for me. On that day I knew it was time for a lifestyle change. Diets don't work for me, they are a temporary fix and I knew the facts...I wasn't stupid. I knew in my heart that on this day I needed to live a vegan lifestyle.  I needed to cut out processed food. I needed to quit drinking.  I needed to workout.  I wasn't one of those people who suffered a major heart attack and received that wake up call.  No, I was at a yoga event for our Cavalier rescue in a sea of older HEALTY looking women.  This is how I wanted to live.  Look and feel amazing.  Not tired and sluggish each day that I woke.

My husband and I have tested the vegan waters before and did great, but I never made that 100% commitment.  After more research and knowing that not only was it a great way to eat, but it was the ethical thing to do for animal rights as well.  Thanks to Vegucated I will FOREVER have the image of young male chicks being thrown into a grinder only because they were born the wrong sex...or maybe that is better than the life a female chick goes on to live, I don't know.  I just know that things really need to change.  I am ready in my life to make that 100% commitment.  When I started losing weight I actually had someone I know tell me, "yeah, but when you lose your weight you'll be back to your normal eating and off that vegan diet."  Excuse me?  I don't look at "Vegan" as a "Diet" this is how I want to commit to eating for he rest of my life!  I want to feel this great the rest of my life!

 

vegan southwest mac & cheese

We are a family with a dishwasher again!  Our poor 13 year-old dishwasher passed away about two months ago and it finally got to a point that we became SICK AND TIRED of washing dishes...I do love to cook and that does NOT go hand-in-hand with hand washing dishes.  So, over the 4th of July weekend J and I went shopping.  Didn't take long as I knew pretty much what I was looking for.  Today, she was delivered and installed!!  Woo-Hoo!!!

Okay, on to food!  This is my third mac & cheese recipe I have tried and revamped.  Think it's a close second to my favorite recipe.  J loved it, and I agree it's good - but the "cheese" sauce from this recipe is still my favorite. The best part about making your own mac & cheese is that you can add whatever you'd like!!  Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are couple of our favorites, but give us a good spicy mac & cheese and we are always in!!

Vegan Southwest Mac & Cheese

vegan chocolate pie & the closet clean out!

Made it through the July 4th weekend.  What I thought was going to be a relaxing, not much to do weekend, turned out to be BUSY! On Thursday I somehow ended up hosting a pool party for my teenage daughter and her seven friends (which turned out to be about 18!). I think I may have gotten a few grey hairs that night lol! Our sweet foster Cavalier Cooper ended up getting adopted and flying to his new home on Saturday with his new mommy.  That entailed trying to get into the vet on Friday for a Health Certificate and then a trip to the airport on Saturday.  Did get to spend some time in the kitchen this weekend whipping up a vegan chocolate pie (see below!), oil free cilantro jalapeno hummus, vegan southwestern mac & cheese and a rockin' tofu scramble for breakfast Sunday!  I also accomplished cleaning out my closet and removing my "fat" clothes from the house!! 

First food, after my cleaning adventure...

Vegan Chocolate Pie

roasted eggplant pesto lavash pizza & what to do with your fat pants?

I LOVE making pizza's at home, but the only crust I truly love is from Whole Foods and some times it's just not feasible to drive all the way over there for pizza crust dough (I go in for pizza dough and come out with $$$ items I don't need!).  So, I thought I would shake things up and do a Lavash crust pizza for dinner and the best part - everyone in the family can make their own! Happy dance from my non-vegan-cheese-loving son.  I made my Roasted Eggplant Pesto the day before and placed in a mason jar until pizza night, this way there wasn't much prep work come pizza night.  The pesto is also great on pasta or just used as a dip.

Roasted Eggplant Pesto

Eggplant Pesto

 

Ingredients

1 Large Eggplant
1/4 cup Raw Unsalted Almonds
2 Sun-dried Tomatoes (not oil-packed)
2 cloves garlic
2 cups Spinach leaves, lightly packed
1 T. Nutritional Yeast

  

raw apple pie

I have been trying to stay away from desserts, even healthy ones, as I have been working on my weight loss.  For me they are such a trigger food and can lead to my overeating. However, Sunday I was dying to try a recipe I found on The Vegan Pact! This really was a very easy pie to make, and my husband said the crust was way better than any non-vegan crust he has had before.  :)

Raw Apple Pie with Coconut Almond Crust
From: The Vegan Pact

Crust
1 1/4 cup raw almonds
1 1/4 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup dates
2 tbsp liquid sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup)
1 tbsp olive oil

Filling
5 apples, peeled and sliced thin (use whatever you’d like-we used Granny Smith)
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 cup dates, soaked for one hour
1 orange, peeled and seeded
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

vegan green chili casserole & weight loss challenge comes to and end!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  I had nothing major planned, but it kind of turned into a weekend of non-stop cooking! (I will share my new recipes in a couple individual post!)

This is what happens when you bring home Green Salsa Verdi left over from the company lunch, but have limited supplies on hand at home.  Originally they were going to be enchiladas, but those are hard to make with the small little tortillas.  So, I opted for a casserole!  This turned out amazing and was even BETTER the next day!

Vegan Green Chili Casserole
Original recipe from The Scattered Cook

Ingredients

15.25 oz. Can of Black Beans low sodium, drained and rinsed
15.25 oz. Can of Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Cup sliced Mushrooms
2 T. Vegetable Broth
1/2 Cup diced Green Chilies
1 T. Garlic Powder
1 T. Cumin
2 Cups of Spinach
1 Jar Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
12 Small Whole Wheat Tortillas