Dinner?

Today I made Fantastic Foods Nature's Burger for lunch alongside leftover Udon noodles from the day before. I've never made any of these mixes before, but I really loved the burgers, so did my family. They were simple to make, add hot water and let sit for 10 min, form patties and saute in pan until browned on both sides, even my hubby can do this. They were flavorful and would be wonderful on a salad or served with mashed potatoes, veggies and gravy for a comfort food meal. We had them on whole wheat buns with a variety of condiments. I liked vegenaise, fresh tomatoes, red onion & lettuce. Hubby liked mustard, pickles & BBQ sauce. My kids are simple, bring on the ketchup. I wouldn't have them all the time, but they are a great backup meal. I think I'll keep some in my pantry from now on. Just a note, the packages says it makes 6 patties. I was able to make 8 that fit our buns perfectly.

But temperatures are on the rise here and no one seems to want dinner. My husband opted to make a smoothie, my daughter and I finally caved and ate leftover cold noodles and my son had a leftover Nature Burger.

I had planned the menu for the whole week, but we are eating far less than we used to. We have all agreed that dinner should be snacks or leftovers, no one can work up an appetite in the heat. I don't even think summer has actually started yet!

Rich And Creamy Risotto

For dinner tonight, I made the Risotto recipe in The Kind Diet. I had so me beautiful asparagus I got this weekend, so I added asparagus to the recipe.

I have never made risotto before, so I was more than a little intimidated, but it wasn't hard at all, It just needed a lot of attention.

I also made collard greens for the first time. I stir fried them in a little olive oil and garlic. They were wonderful with the risotto.

Lunch Today

We had enough Tuna Salad (kinda) for more sandwiches today. I also made some peanut butter and jam sandwiches. This week I tried Ezekiel bread for the first time. Love the sprouted bread!

Kinda Tuna Salad

Today I made the Tuna Salad (Kinda) from Alicia's Kind diet. It was delicious. I was in a hurry, so I didn't blanch all the veggies, but it was still delicious. We like our veggies crunchy. It didn't hold together as well as traditional tuna salad, but it would be perfect in a pita. This didn't stop us from having it in a sandwich. It was cold and refreshing, perfect for a 90+ degree day.

Two Week Update

It has been two weeks since I started my vegan journey using The Kind Diet. I feel amazing. I'm also happy to report that in addition to feeling great, I'm down 2.4 lbs. Just a note, I spent the weekend with hubby for our wedding anniversary. My old way of eating would have made it very difficult to weigh-in this morning lighter. The foods we would have enjoyed would have been meat and dairy heavy and full of salt and sugar. I would have woke up this morning feeling lousy and bloated. Instead my husband and I found this great little vegetarian place and made good choices the rest of the time and I woke up with energy. I am so grateful to Alicia for writing her book. Yay!

Taco Night!

I was inspired by idreamoftahini to tryout my families regular taco recipe with tempeh. I had already ordered the 5 grain one from Turtle Island. No one in my family had ever had tempeh before, including me.

First I browned the tempeh with onion and garlic. It browned nicely. Then I added canned green chilies, 1/2 cup canned, chopped tomatoes with lime and cilantro, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chipolte chile powder and salt to taste. Measurements are approximate. I season until it tastes good.Then I let it simmer on low until thickened. I was impressed how much faster this took then when I make the same thing with meat. It was also delicious! My family loved it and agreed we had no need of the beef tacos we used to have.Ironically, we didn't have tacos. I opted for a burrito with tempeh, rice, beans, lettuce and tomato. My family had tostadas & burritos.

Hubby's Totally On Board

My husband has been getting more involved with the meal planning and has been doing his on research on being vegan and health. He has been intrigued by Brenden Brazier. He just ordered two of his books. From what I can tell, his views are in-line with Alicia's. We will be trying to incorporate more Superhero recipes this week. Weekends will be from the regular vegan recipes.

So excited!

Today's Version of Alicia's Quick Date-Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal

I love this oatmeal. It's on page 196 in The Kind Diet. I have to heat it a little longer that she says in the recipe, but I'm careful not to overcook it and allow it to sit with the lid on. Today I was out of maple syrup and apples. I substituted agave syrup & cranberries. My family preferred the cranberries. I love the rich flavor the dates give the oatmeal. You'll never miss the brown sugar stuff!

Quick Date-Cranberry*-Cinnamon Oatmeal

Yummy Soup

For lunch today I made Alicia's Magical Healing Soup on pg 251. It was light and wonderful. I didn't have all the veggies, so I made some substitutions. The best one is kale. I love kale in soup. The lightness of the soup was perfect for the warm weather. I also added some white miso paste just before serving.

Breakfast for Mommy

I woke up this morning to find my 13 & 9 year olds in the kitchen making breakfast. I can see that they are learning. My daughter was working on a veggie stir-fry w/greens, something she assumed I would want. How sweet.

This is my first post with an egg in it. For more about the eggs, check out my About Me & Our Nuggets pages. I haven't had an egg in about a month and didn't finish the one the kids gave me today, just too much food!

Menu:

• poached eggs
• whole wheat toast
• veggies & greens
• oranges
• tea
• homemade jams