More Vegetarian Meals

When I posted My Husband is a Vegan Freak, I promised to give you more vegetarian meal ideas.  Here are 7 meals we've had recently:

Black Bean Cakes with Pineapple Salsa, Salad, and Strawberries

Homemade Veggie Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust

(his without cheese, mine with)

Dirty Rice (includes soy crumbles) 

and Spicy Collards with Stewed Tomatoes

Vegan Sloppy Joes

(made with textured vegetable protein aka TVP)

Huge Salads with Sunflower Seeds and Beans

 (mine also with Buffalo Mozzarella)

American Chop Suey (with soy crumbles)

Spicy Madras Curry with Tofu and Vegetables 

over Whole Wheat Cous Cous
(tasted better than it looks, I promise!)

He cooks with recipes (his favorite source is www.vegcooking.com),while I rarely do.  I call it creative cooking.  I see what we have in our kitchen, may or may not look up a recipe for ideas, and then just go for it.  In 8 years, I've only had to throw out 3 meals because they were not fit for consumption.  Not a bad average, don't you think?

Tranquilista Interview

I'm super excited to share that my interview with Kimberly Wilson (author of Tranquilista and Hip Tranquil Chick) is now live.

It's a free podcast that's about 20 minutes long.  She asked me about nourishing rituals, stress and time management, finding your happy weight, emotional eating, body image, and more.

Click here to listen or to download the podcast.  It's the perfect accompaniment for your next power walk!

Just Add Color

Last month I introduced Amendi, my personal training client (and now friend!), to the joys of adult coloring books.  If you now think I am crazy, please read on.

I've been a fan of coloring for many years now.  Just like knitting, it's therapeutic and meditative.  If you've ever seen children color, you know that they calm down and get into a trance-like state.  It's the same for us adults.  (And I can't just sit and watch t.v.  I'm either coloring or sewing or embroidering or collaging or creating something.)  I recommend coloring and other creative outlets to my nutrition & wellness coaching clients.  It's an excellent form of stress management.  Spending time out of our thinking and overanalyzing left brains and stepping into our creative right brains manages stress.

So after her personal training session, Amendi and I went on a field trip to the local Barnes and Noble.  We found the adult coloring books in the children's section. (Go figure.  I've normally found them in the art section.)   She picked out two (and I'm proud that I restrained myself from purchasing any more.)

I recommend colored pencils (not markers) and being sure you have a little sharpener close by.

Here is the website where I order mine:  Dover Publications
They have SO MANY books for colorists of all ages.  It's quite unbelievable how many they have.  You can also sign up for emails that give you access to free coloring pages each week.  (Also great for those of you with children.)

Go ahead ladies.  GET YOUR COLOR ON!

The Littlest Things

Sometimes it's the littlest things that make me happy.

The monkey with the oversized ears 

that was hanging out on my banana.

The sparkly heart and rainbow stickers 

I bought for myself during a recent CVS trip.

(Who says $ can't buy happiness?)

The Wizard of Oz magnets my friend Darlene gave me 

just because she knows it's my favorite movie.

Seeing my beloved Mini parked next to a huge car.  

It never fails to make me laugh.

Be mindful of the littlest things in your life that bring you happiness.