Or “How Lulu Told on Pea Daddy.”

There is nothing I like better as a mom than “teaching moments.”  Okay, as a mom, I like date nights, Christmas mornings, Mother’s Day cards and that solitary morning cup of coffee while everyone is still asleep better, but teaching moments are pretty good too.

You can lecture all you want, but until your child actually experiences something firsthand, you are pretty much just wasting your breath.  Your wonderful coffee breath.

It’s Nutrition Month at Lulu’s preschool, and while the control-freak part of me said I should talk to Lulu’s teacher and offer some recipe cards, a cooking lesson or even just some information on vegetarian diets, the rational part of me said, “She’s four.  Chill out.”

And so I did.

I’m as shocked as you are.

Today Lulu came home with a special craft in her cubby.

Rather than make assumptions, I asked her to tell me about it.

“Mom, these are go foods.  They make you go, go, go!” she explained.

“And these?  What are these?” I asked her, pointing to the pictures that look suspiciously like the bowl of Halloween candy that is sitting in our kitchen right now.

“Those are slow foods.  They make you go slow,” she said.

I loved that they use the terms “go” and “slow” rather than “healthy” and “junk,” or worse still, “good” and “bad” foods.

Still I had questions.  Or rather, “teaching moments.”

I pointed to the pink meat that she had pasted on the “Go Foods” side.  I assume it was pork.  I assume Lulu didn’t have a clue what it was.

“What’s this?”

“Ma-uhm,” she said, giving my name two syllables like she believed I was just dumb enough to give myself bangs with safety scissors, “that’s meat!”

“Well, why is it pasted on the ‘Go Food’ side?” I asked innocently.

“Because it’s a go food!” she said, but then quickly added, “But we don’t eat it because we’re vegetarian!”

“Why are we vegetarian?” I was curious.

“Because it’s a choice we made because…” her voice trailed off.

I held my breath and waited for what was to come next.

Because “you made us?”

Because “it’s better for the planet?”

Because “we care about animals?”

She finished her thought.

“It’s a choice we made because…because we live in Oregon!”

I drew a logical conclusion.  “And everyone that lives in Oregon is vegetarian?”

“Yup!” she said proudly.

I let it be.  She makes a pretty good point.

“What about these slow foods?  Why don’t we eat a lot of them?”  I asked.

“Root beer is a slow food!” she blurted out.  “And donuts!  And cupcakes!”

“Yes,” I agreed.  “But why do we not eat a lot of slow foods?”

“Because they make you throw up like I did when I had root beer and donuts and cupcakes with Daddy!” she said.

I downloaded the pictures from Pea Daddy’s camera today—all the pictures from when I was gone to San Francisco for the weekend, only to call home and find out that Lulu was throwing up.

The pictures, they explained a lot.

Turns out, they visited a few bakeries while I was gone.  Vegan bakeries, yes, but why they had to visit them all in one day, I don’t know.

Suddenly I was feeling a lot less guilty about my missing cleanup duty on Saturday.

I took Lulu out to lunch after school today.  We went to our local health food store and loaded up on the salad bar.

As Lulu happily munched away, a light bulb went off.  She suddenly shouted, “Mom!  We’ve eaten nothing but go foods today!”

“That’s right,” I said.

“And I’m not throwing up!” she said, astonished.

Lesson learned.

It was almost as good as Christmas morning.

Pass the broccoli.

Ryan Reynolds?  On Sesame Street?  Is this a desert mirage?

Why is Mommy licking the TV?

Do you have to pay for everything removed from the mini-bar if you just take it out to make overnight oats?  Overnight oats with Bailey’s perhaps?

Pink string bikini.  Big boompahs.

I wonder what this does…

GAH!  Just when I thought it wasn’t possible to have more urine in the pool.

Palm tree, you complete me.

Gigi, you complete me.

What are you looking at, Palm Tree?

Crayons and broccoli.  Feels like home.

Wait, whose blog is this?

My new wife is HOT.

Lulu: Yay!  Mommy came back!

Gigi: Oh yay (sarcasm).  Mommy came back.

Pea Daddy: Awkward!  Mommy came back.

Heather: These people are strange, y’all.

Wake me up when Pink String Bikini Lady comes back.

If Pictures Could Talk: Volume 1

If Pictures Could Talk: Volume 2

Otherwise known as: “What Happened With Pea Pal.”

It was dinnertime.

Pea Daddy had tipped his pal off to my veg intentions, and I was immediately told as we sat down to the table that he had no intention of ever being vegetarian or vegan.  I told him I hoped he would just let me speak my piece, and he very graciously agreed.  I then started preaching over mouthfuls of food, as I often do.

Pea Pal loved dinner.

He must have told me eight times how delicious it was.  I got up from the table throughout the meal to show our guest the type of salsa I used (Kirkland organic), what brand of tortilla chips to buy (Guiltless Gourmet) and exactly what part of the broccoli he was eating (the stalk, which is in fact my favorite vegetable/vegetable part ever).

While we ate, I quoted studies and stats like I was a huge vegan nerd (“What do you mean like?”).  And the more I talked and the more we ate, I saw glimpses of understanding and hope, followed by honest confessions like “I could eat more meals like this.  I could do this once a week.”

But by the end of the meal (a meal topped off with a mini ice cream sandwich, I might add) we’d reached an even better agreement: he agreed to do it “my way” half of the week, and the more mainstream way the other half.  Like Meatless Mondays, but more like Meatless Monday, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

How could I feel bad about that?

After Pea Pal left, we got two very bored, very tired girls off to bed and I made my way to bed, a stack of cookbooks in one hand, a legal pad in the other and chocolate in my pockets.  As I flipped through recipes and scratched notes, I began to feel overwhelmed.  I felt frustrated as I tried to write menu plans with meat in them, like a sober alcoholic trying to become a bartender.

How could I write down on paper, “Eat a turkey sandwich”?  And how could I balance this with the literally hundreds of requests from you all for healthy vegan meal plans?

I got up, went to put much needed anti-wrinkle cream on and realized I had coated my under-eye area with anti-fungal cream. Perfect.

I laughed.  I cried.  I ate more chocolate.  I went and risked waking the girls up just to tuck Bellyana under Gigi’s arm one more time and to make sure Blankie was as close to Lulu as physically possible.  I wanted to be as close to both of them as physically possible.  I wanted to feel like myself.

And then it hit me.  I had to do it my way.  I had to write

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting sample vegan meal plans with links to or instructions for any recipes (Pea Pal can choose to add meat or not, but I’m giving you the vegan plan). For the first few posts in the series, I’ll give a variety of breakfast, lunch and snack ideas to be rotated throughout the week, and then six days worth of dinners (Pea Pal has requested a “Free Day” to go out or have a Sunday family dinner).  For the seventh day, you can repeat one of the week’s meals, eat leftovers or go out to eat, with some Pealightful advice from me, of course.  You can look for the first Pealightful post some time next week (did I mention I leave for a business trip Monday?).

Note:  Because I’m short on time, unfortunately I’m going to have to be a little less present in the comments section on all posts.  I’ll still try to respond to whatever questions you have in as timely of a fashion as possible (same goes for emails).  You’ll notice I’ve also taken comments off of moderation, so please be kind, both to me and to one another.  But mostly me.

And credit to Ashley for the great graphics!

Today, in the true meaning of Pealightful, I drank a green juice.

Pea Daddy took Lulu to a preschool visit in preparation for next fall.

I took Gigi to Starbucks.

And I ate more chocolate, via my first

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls Light

(versus not-so-light)

Makes 10 balls

Nutrition per ball:  167 calories, 8 g. fat, 22 g. carbs, 4 g. protein

• 1/2 c. raw almonds
• 1/2 c. raw cashews
• 6-7 Medjool dates (approx. 2/3 c.)
• 1 t. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1/2 t. sea salt
• 2 T. dark chocolate chips, coarsely chopped

In a blender or food processor, combine almonds and cashews.

Blend on high until mixture is pulverised, but not yet nut butter (though that would be delicious).

Transfer nuts to a separate bowl.

Put dates, which have had pits removed, vanilla paste or extract and salt into the blender or food processor,

and blend until almost smooth.

Add the nuts to the date mixture and blend until a dough comes together.

Stir in coarsely chopped chocolate chips by hand.

Using a tablespoon, scoop dough, and roll into balls.

Chill balls until serving.

Look for these as a snack or treat option in a Pealightful Plan in the near future.  I enjoyed one today as a part of lunch with a Hugh Jass salad.

I think I’ll send a few dough balls to work with Pea Daddy as a little incentive for our Pea Pal.  You know, just to show him that eating whole, plant-based foods doesn’t have to be boring.

It can be Pealightful.

If you pile my family around a dinner table, you are bound to learn a thing or two.

We eat.

We talk, borderline shout.

We argue.

We eat.

We talk, borderline shout some more.

I cannot guarantee the factual accuracy of any tidbit that comes out of any person with my genetic makeup, admittedly, myself included.  Perhaps that is why it is so easy to get into little arguments.  When two parties of a heated debate are both making things up, it is virtually impossible to declare a winner.  And whoever declares him or herself a winner is making it up.

So take what you will from this list.  But this is what I learned.  And I’m right.

1. Despite the long held belief that my little brother once broke his hand giving a high-five, he actually broke his hand getting hit in the hand by someone winding up to give another person a high-five.  I’m so glad we cleared that up, because that is so much less embarrassing of a story.

2. If there is an open butter dish on the table, someone in my immediate family will find said butter and stick his or her fingers in it.

3. Pea Daddy really misses butter.

4. A double magnum bottle of wine holds approximately four standard bottles of wine.

5. Do not ask my older brother to bring “a bottle of wine” to dinner.  Or do.

6. My family is not ready to serve a vegan main course.  But they’ll let me bring my own.

Spicy African Peanut Stew

7.  No one sticks their fingers in my stew.  I’m kind of sad about that.

8.  Re-gifting food gifts is totally acceptable, but only if it involves creativity.

Mixed field greens, carrots, spinach, broccoli, roasted yellow beets, and snap peas

Lemon & Roasted Pecan Dressing, pepitas and cranberries

Lemon & Roasted Pecan Dressing

Makes approximately 1 cup

• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. Salted Pecan Butter (gifted from Ashley—make her your friend, make your own, or do both.  Or sub a different nut butter.  Tahini or almond butter would be delicious.)
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 1/4 c. soy sauce or Braggs’ amino acids
• 2 t. Dijon mustard
• stevia or agave to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender or shaker bottle and mix well.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Or dump them over your leftover salad from Christmas dinner and eat it at 10 pm.  I’m good with that.

9.  Re-gifting food gifts is totally acceptable, but only if it involves dessert.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls, Peppermint Bark from Pea Neighbor, Magic Bars and No Eggnog Scones from Christmas breakfast.

Transformed into mini-scones for a dessert tray.

10. Only my uncle likes vegan desserts.  And Mr. Butterfingers, who ate the leftovers at 10 pm.  Without salad dressing.

11. Exactly whose fingers were in the butter is decisive in deciding in whether or not to continue to partake in the butter.  Sorry Gigi.  And good call, Big Bro.

12. Not everyone in my family should be allowed to play Apples and Apples.  Or bring the wine.

13. No matter how funny it is that your little brother selected “Helen Keller” for “Silent,” don’t even think about giving him a high-five.

If we’ve learned anything, it’s that somebody could get hurt.

This will be the last post you’ll hear me complaining about my glasses.

Mostly it’s because in about 12 hours I’ll be sitting at my LASIK consult, and the moment that I’m done being dilated, measured and told about the prospects of surgery, I’m popping my lenses in back in my eyes and sending my glasses right back to the dusty nightstand by my bed.  May they rest in peace.

But it’s also because yesterday, Pea Daddy snapped and told me, in much kinder and gentler words, “Shut up about your glasses, already!” I think it was the last librarian joke that sent him over the top.  Or maybe when I told him to “Look me in the eye.  All four of them.”  Or when I told him my glasses were so thick I could see the future.  It’s been a fun, fun week for Pea Daddy.

In all honesty, I’ve been a hermit during the last seven days.  I’ve shied away from coffee dates and Christmas shopping.  I was even embarrassed to go out to dinner with my Mom for her birthday to Sweet Tomatoes, and not just because the girls were taking shots of salad dressing out of the little paper cups.  Again.  You laugh, but I hope Red Bull and honey mustard is all the rage when they are in college.

Today, though, I felt happy to walk into church with my family.  And I forgot all about my glasses.  As all the Christmas decorations glistened in the sanctuary, there was a beauty that couldn’t be denied.

And no amount of ugly Christmas sweaters (and believe me, there were several), off-key hymn singers (and believe me, they were located in the pew right behind us) or even very thick glasses (and believe me, those are mine) could deter or distract from the beauty, the warmth, the acceptance of family, of home and of real love.

This soup is not the prettiest.  You may be embarrassed to serve it, if not for the bright green color, at least for the smell that cooked broccoli imparts upon your house.  But as you ladle warm comforting bowlfuls on a cold December day after church or a chilly walk to look at neighborhood Christmas decorations, as the creamy texture hits your tongue and the warm, soothing liquid hits your stomach, suddenly you won’t care what it looks like at all.

Believe me.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Makes 4-6 servings

• 1 T. vegan margarine (i.e. Earth Balance)
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 8 oz. broccoli florets (about 4 cups)
• 4 c. vegetable broth
• 2 c. corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
• 3 c. spinach
• 1/3 c. nutritional yeast
• 1/2 c. non-dairy or organic milk (plain, unsweetened)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 c. non-dairy (i.e. Daiya) or organic cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large pot over medium high heat, melt margarine and add chopped onion.

Sauté for three minutes or until onion is softened and aromatic.

Add broth, broccoli and corn, and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until broccoli is cooked through.

Transfer soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender).

Add spinach and blend until smooth.  Return soup to the pot and place over low heat.

Add nutritional yeast and milk and heat through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Top individual bowls with cheese and serve.

My house may stink.  Gigi may have said, “That looks disgusting.”  And the steam from my bowl may have fogged up my glasses.  But I have a sloshy, soup-filled belly, Christmas is a few weeks away, and we are blessed.  And that is beautiful.

I’d have to be blind not to see it.

“What ARE you doing?” you might ask.

“Washing your hair?”  Yes.

“Visiting the elderly?”  Yes.

“Making your husband and children drive 35 miles to go to your favorite stores in the entire world to participate in one of your favorite activities in the entire world?”  Yes and yes.

“Is Pea Daddy still sporting that smokin’ stubble… wait, and is that a Tommy Bahama jacket?”

Yes and Lord help me, yes.

“Is grocery shopping really one of your favorite activities ever?

And more importantly, are you going to write this whole post using questions?”

Yes.  And unfortunately for you, it’s fun, so yes. (I hear your finger on your mouse, clicking away from Peas & Thank You forever…)

“Don’t your kids get bored in the car?”

No, they manage to keep themselves entertained.

Is Lulu thinking, “Ew!  What is she doing?!”

No.  She’s thinking, “Where are my shades?”

“So what’s your favorite store?”

“But what about dinner?”

Salad/hot bar for me, pizza for the girls, veggie burger for Pea Daddy.

“Great, but where’s Lulu?”

Just snagging fries when Pea Daddy is distracted.

“You can’t possibly do all your shopping at Whole Foods?  Do you crap diamonds?”

No, I also go to Trader Joe’s.  And I’m above talking about my bowel movements on my blog. Geez, can you be any tackier?

“Does the family go with you?  And do the girls still assault people with those vile little carts?”

Nope.  They’ve got more important things to do.

“So what’s so fun about grocery shopping?”

Grocery bag Tetris.

The goal: get $100 worth of groceries in one bag.

Tonight, I won.

“But what did you buy?”

You asked for it.

• almond milk
• whole wheat spaghetti
• Clif bars
• cocoa powder
• organic squeeze yogurt
• dill pickles
• organic ketchup
• organic PB crackers
• soy creamer
• natural bbq sauce
• Kashi crunch
• Kashi Go Lean
• Triple Berry O’s
• maple syrup/agave blend
• organic chocolate syrup
• organic strawberry jam
• Tres Pinos red wine
• organic raisins
• organic tofu
• baked organic tofu
• natural dish soap
• Vanilla Cinnamon black tea
• broccoli slaw
• broccoli florets
• bunch of broccoli
• red, orange and green peppers
• chocolate chips
• brussels sprouts
• organic grapes
• organic spinach
• organic spring mix
• organic apples
• organic pears
• bananas
• root beer

“Was your ride home as exciting as your ride up?”  No.  It was much more mellow.

And somebody had to be carried to her bed…

even though I’m 99% certain she was still awake.

“So that’s it?  Can’t you think of a better way to spend your Friday night?”

Actually, no, I can’t.

But thanks for asking.

I keep pacing the yard waiting for those little baby robins to hatch.  Unfortunately watching paint dry waiting for birds to hatch is about all I had energy for Monday.  Luckily, I was not alone in my exhaustion.

There really is no better place to take a breather than a slab of concrete.

I settled for the couch.  It’s a pretty unnerving feeling to wake up in the middle of the afternoon when you are in charge of two kids under the age of six, a sadistic cat and a pregnant bird and realize you are WAKING UP.  I’m sure my nap was only about ten minutes long since my contacts only felt like cardboard in my eyes and not sandpaper.  And Gigi was still singing the same Taylor Swift song she was singing when I dozed off, but now that I think about it, that’s not necessarily a strong indicator of anything, except for maybe why I’ve hidden the Taylor Swift cd.

That’s not to say that my day was not without it’s accomplishments.  I thought of a great way to avoid actually having to leave the house to buy water balloons for the girls.

Aside from the gallons of water being wasted, hose-play is really an environmentally friendly alternative to multicolored plastic fragments across our lawn.

Someone just needs to remind Gigi not to stick a running hose in her mouth.  I almost had to utilize my CPR training, and that’s far more ambitious than I wanted to be.

In my other undertaking of the day, I pieced together the secret behind Deb’s addictive salad (and surprisingly it’s not just serving it up alongside pizza and red wine…although, those certainly don’t hurt).  It really is just some greens, veggies, avocado and this crack in a bottle.

Deb left it here, but I didn’t feel right about using it, especially since she will soon read this and want it back.

The ingredients are pretty simple.

But while Deb runs marathons and can utilize the extra calories and fat of this oil-based dressing, I don’t and can’t.  Did you catch that my big activities of the day were napping and turning on the hose?  Refueling isn’t really a big concern.  Deb is a working mom, marathoner, breadbaking, scrapbooking, gardening, salad-making goddess.  I didn’t leave the house today.  I believe that makes me a domestic goddess (which sounds better than “shut-in”).

Domestic Goddess Dressing

Makes 1 cup dressing

• 1/2 an avocado (about 1/3 c. cubed)
• 1/2 a summer squash (zucchini or yellow, about 1/3 c. cubed)
• 1/3 c. water
• 1 T. Braggs Amino Acids (or reduced sodium soy sauce)
• 2 T. apple cider vinegar
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 T. tahini
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/2 t. onion salt
• 1 t. dried parsley
• 1/4 t. xanthan gum
• stevia to taste (optional)

Blend avocado, squash and water in a high speed blender or food processor until smooth.

Add remaining ingredients and process until dressing is at desired consistency.  You can adjust the seasonings or add more water until dressing is to your liking.

I made a large salad of organic field greens, spinach, carrots, snap peas, broccoli and cucumber,

drizzled it with about 1/4 c. of the dressing,

and tossed it before topping it with some hemp seeds.

I’m in love.  And I have a new way to use summer squash that is multiplying at a rapid rate.  I should know.  I’ve been watching it grow all day.  But today I have bigger plans.  I may even leave the nest and walk to the mailbox.  That doesn’t require a shower, right?

I woke up this morning and spent time with this lovely lady and her six-pack.

The Body for Life weight workout can be found here. While it’s a great workout for use at the gym, I’m currently shying away from doing it at home because it is based on increasing/decreasing your weight with each set.  I only have your basic dumbbells with plates and with six sets for five exercises, I’d be unscrewing those little sprocket doohickeys thirty times per workout on each dumbbell.  I’d get carpal tunnel and miss the girls’ high school graduation.  So until I get a set of Bowflex Select Tech weights,

I’m afraid I’m going to have to improvise at home.   Go ahead, call me a cheater.

I feel like I need some antibiotics just looking at those two.

I really pushed myself with Jackie’s Total Body Workout, which I find to be more challenging than anything Jillian’s ever thrown at me, but rather than using the 5 lb. dumbbells that I usually use, I upped my weight to 7.5s.  I killed it, and needed some serious muscle repair afterwards.

Meal #1

• 1 c. almond milk
• 1/4 c. orange juice
• 1/2 c. frozen strawberries
• ice
• 2 c. spinach
• 1.5 scoops vanilla Spirutein protein powder (pea/rice/soy blend)

(254 calories, 25 g. protein, 34 g. carbs, 3 g. fat) –I’m providing this today, per a reader’s request, the numbers may not be entirely exact because I did better on the writing portion of the SATs than the math

Meanwhile, Gigi took on a new adventure, spurred by our viewing of Jamie Oliver’s genius, yet heartbreaking Food Revolution, last night.

Perhaps she could use that fork to pick out her ‘fro as well.

She’s never been more excited to eat a Kashi waffle in her life.

This is a lesson he was born to teach.  She was a quick learner.

That bite may have been a little large.  She also may have asked to use a knife and fork while consuming a smoothie, banana and sandwich later today.  At least it wasn’t a Snickers.

After our manes had been tamed, our tutus had been donned and our little sisters had been stabbed multiple times, we were all ready for lunch.  I had plans to meet some bloggers at 1:30 in Portland at the Lucky Labrador Brewing Company, and I knew I’d be hungry before then (and would want to avoid beer and pizza consumption midday), so I had lunch before I left and stuck to iced tea at the Brewery.

Meal #2

I had an open faced sandwich of sorts.

• 1/2 of a sprouted grain Food for Life English muffin
• 1 T. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
• cucumber slices
• cracked black
• pickles
• red pepper
• spinach

I also had a stirfry that was neither stirred, nor fried.

• broccoli
• carrots
• Trader Joe’s organic teriyaki tofu
• almonds
• sauce made from 1 T. nutritional yeast, Bragg’s amino acids, lime juice and stevia

(370 calories, 25 g. protein, 38 g. carbs, 13 g. fat)

The meetup was a lot of fun, and while I have known Kalin for awhile, and Susan for forever, I really enjoyed meeting Tiff too.

Meanwhile, Pea Daddy was keeping the girls entertained in the greater Portland area.

What?! I’m gone for an hour and this?

I calmed myself with  2/3 of a Clif Mojo bar that was in my purse.

Meal #3

(120 calories, 8 g. protein, 14 g. carbs, 4 g. fat)

When I got the text that Gigi was asking, “Can we leave the boring old man store now?” I knew just where to find them.

Didn’t see that one coming.

Since Pea Daddy had an important meeting (ahem, Fantasy Baseball Draft), I took Balloon Boy and the Biker Babe home for a quick dinner.

Gardein sent me a coupon for some free products, and seeing that the girls love the Morningstar nuggets, I thought we’d give these a try.  I definitely preferred Gardein’s ingredient list.

The nutritional statistics were impressive as well.

I’m actually quite amazed I was able to stomach anything in nugget form after Jamie Oliver’s experiment last night.

But oh my peas, these were so delicious!  The girls and I loved them and no nugget went uneaten.  They are about $2 more per package than Morningstar, but I think they are definitely worth it both from a nutrition and a taste standpoint.

I also had a nice salad.

Meal #4

• spinach
• broccoli
• carrots
• red pepper
• almonds
• Nooch dressing (see lunch)

(350 calories, 26 g. protein, 47 g. carbs, 7 g. fat)

After a pillow fight and some pajama time, I finally got the girls to bed.

If only it were their beds.

Meal #5

• 1/2 block silken tofu
• 1/2 scoop Jay Robb chocolate rice protein powder
• 2 T. cocoa powder
• stevia
• ice
• 1/2 c. almond milk
• 1/2 t. xanthan gum
• 12 almonds
• ~3 T. TruWhip

(320 calories, 21 g. protein, 23 g. carbs, 12 g. fat)

I’m now saying hello to some man I live with.  Thank goodness he’s wearing a Tommy Bahama shirt or I might not even recognize him.

He’s dreamy. And in third grade.

Thanks for everyone’s supportive comments on the new road I’m heading down. Very few of you voted for a one liner about potty training and a vegan cookie recipe, though you’ll probably get that tomorrow anyway, so put on your plastic pants and preheat your oven. As for how this will play out blog-wise, I may return to the food diary format on some days and on others just have a recipe post. Some may be BFL friendly and some will be Gigi and Lulu friendly. I’ll definitely keep you up-to-date on my progress. Thanks to Pea Daddy’s mad photography skills on the beaches of Kona, I’ve got some great “Before” shots. The joker that he is was actually building a Shutterfly scrapbook and included the least flattering bikini shot I have ever seen to be memorialized for all of time. Not cool. Justin Beiber would never do that to his grandma me.

For today’s post, though, I thought I’d show you how I’ve managed to get my protein in the past few days and eat vegan BFL-approved meals. Yesterday was a weights day, so after a cup of coffee, I spent 45 minutes with my bench and dumbbells. The general consensus among sports nutrition experts is that after lifting hard, for maximum muscle repair and growth, you should consume protein replacement with some simple carbs within 30-45 minutes of your workout, so I did just that, having a protein shake around 9 a.m.

Meal #1:

• 1 c. unsweetened almond milk
• 1 full scoop vanilla Spirutein (pea/rice/soy blend protein powder)
• 4 large frozen strawberries
• 1/4 c. frozen pineapple
• 1/4 c. orange juice
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• ice

To tell you how tasty it was, there was a little leftover in the bottom of the blender, which Gigi happily sucked down like she was a Survivor contestant eating a hot dog.

When lunch rolled around, I utilized some organic tofu that I’d picked up at Trader Joe’s.

Few things in my life are ever “ready” (“…for bed,” “…to leave for school,” “…to say your sorry for pretending your hummus was face cream), so “ready to eat” is right up my alley. I chopped up a 1/4 of the package and put it on a responsibly sized salad.

Meal #2:

• spinach
• broccoli
• carrots
• 1 -2 oz. tofu
• 6 almonds
• 1/2 of an Ezekiel sprouted grain tortilla
• Nutritional yeast dressing (1 1/2 /T. nutritional yeast, 1 T. Bragg’s amino acids, squeeze of lemon juice, water)

I’d like to introduce you one of my vegan protein powerhouses:

Really, how much protein can yeast have?

Wha-bamm! Eight grams of protein in my salad dressing?! Plus, it has more vitamin B 12 than most multivitamins. I’ll give you that the taste takes a little getting used to (it’s kind of a sharp, nutty flavor), but I’m there.

I’ve immediately notice how satiated I am after a lunch that incorporates protein and whole grains. In fact, while I generally go back for a cup of tea, some carrots, some more broccoli, I am completely full and happy after this meal.

At least somebody was happy.

Sissy took the marker she wanted when we were making get well cards for my mom. She had rotator cuff surgery Thursday morning and she is now hanging out with my old friend Vike. I seem to remember writing some inspired posts, maybe a guest post is in order?

After our cards were done, we put some cookies in the oven and had a snack.

Meal #3:

• ~ 1 c. Kashi Go Lean
• 6 chopped almonds
• 2 T. raisins

Alas, BFL doesn’t encourage sampling Earth Balance and coconut laden vegan cookies, so those will have to wait for Free Day (which I will probably do, but in a very moderate way).

Meal #4

Dinner also took advantage of alternative protein sources and the fact that anyone will eat pizza for dinner no matter what.

• 1/2 an Ezekiel sprouted grain tortilla
• ~2 T. organic tomato basil marinara
• Mae’s pizza cheese (1 T. hummus stirred with 1 1/2 T. nutritional yeast, splash of lemon juice and water to thin)
• broccoli
• fresh basil

I ate it with a salad, dressed with lemon juice, sea salt and stevia, as well as a few chopped almonds.

After dinner, the best dad in the world did a little reading with the local petting zoo.

Once the animals were sedated for the night, Pea Daddy and I settled in for a little TV, including what is quickly becoming my new favorite show, Parks & Rec.

Dare I say it is funnier than The Office and 30 Rock? Yes, I dare. Of course, I needed a snack.

Meal #5

• 1/2 pkg. silken tofu (I froze this for about an hour or two)
• 1/2 scoop Jay Robb brown rice chocolate protein powder
• 2 T. cocoa powder
• stevia
• 1/2 c. almond milk
• 1/2 t. xanthan gum
• chopped almonds

While the silken tofu made this a little chalkier than my usual protein ice cream, it also boosted the protein content. I went to bed with a full stomach. Macro speaking, I ended up with ~109 grams of protein and a 42/26/32 macro nutrient breakdown, not textbook BFL by any means, but definitely a step in the right direction. As I progress, I plan to try to become less dependent on soy protein (I’m using what I have before I buy anything else) and I’d like my day to most likely include one more meal.

And more Justin Bieber.

This picture tells you two things.

1.  Moisturizer can turn your hands from Larry King to Justin Beiber.

2.  Manhands has been juicing beets.

• organic celery
• organic kale
• ginger
• 1/2 a beet
• organic Fuji
• lime

This ingredient made it into two dishes last night.

1.  Caribbean Coconut Quinoa

2.  Revamped Mango Cupcakes with Coconut Chocolate Ganache

This ingredient made it into two dishes last night.

1.  Caribbean Coconut Quinoa

2.  Revamped Mango Cupcakes with Coconut Chocolate Ganache

Is there an echo in here?

While making the cupcakes, in which I subbed the Mango Passionfruit juice for the orange juice, my children said two entertaining things.

1.  When I announced that anyone that “went in and went tinkle” got to sample a chocolate chip,  Gigi ran for the bathroom like she’d had bad Mexican, but Lulu yelled, “Not me!”  I explained, “No potty, no chocolate chip,” to which my two-year-old responded,

“Actually, I want a chocolate chip, I just don’t want to use the potty.”

Oh, really?!

2.  When I ran out of organic sugar, I had to search in the back of the cupboards where I found an old bag of plain, old granulated sugar.

Upon seeing this, Gigi said, “Hello, sugar!  Haven’t seen you in awhile!”

So deprived.  Betty White has some yogurt covered raisins that convince me otherwise.

I have two good ways for enjoying, er, tolerating, quinoa now:

1. Spanish Quinoa

2. Coconut Caribbean Quinoa

• 1 t. Earth Balance vegan margarine
• 1 T. minced ginger
• 2 t. minced garlic
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 t. lime zest
• 1 c. quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 c. light coconut milk
• 1/3 c. mango passionfruit juice (can sub orange juice)
• 1/3 c. water
• 1/2 t. salt
• few grinds of pepper
• 1 t. sugar
• toasted coconut for topping

In a medium saucepan, saute garlic, ginger and cinnamon stick in the Earth Balance for about 1 minute.  Add quinoa and toast slightly.

Add lime zest, coconut milk, juice, water, salt, pepper and sugar.

Bring to a light boil.  Cover and reduce heat to low, simmering for 15 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and allow to sit for 5 additional minutes.  Top with toasted coconut.

We enjoyed, er, chewed and swallowed this quinoa two ways:

1.  Caribbean vegetarian nachos (quinoa, black beans cooked with lime juice and cumin and topped with organic cheese, mango peach salsa, organic light sour cream and served with hint of lime tortilla chips)

2.  Caribbean stirfry (sauteed spinach, broccoli, carrots and mushrooms topped with quinoa, coconut, chopped almonds, peach mango salsa and Sirracha).

In all seriousness, though, the quinoa was excellent this way.  I think it would be equally good for breakfast too.

While I cooked, the girls found two ways to use leftover ingredients.

1.  Cutting themselves on a jagged can Playing telephone.

2. Peeing on the couch Spilling juice on the couch.

It wasn’t Larry King, I promise.

Perhaps its time I invested in a nanny…or two.