Breakfast!

Okay, so here's a couple pictures of my latest concoctions. My hot cocoa and scrambled tofu...yummy!

Hooray for tofu!

I've been experimenting with new strange foods, and I haven't been disappointed yet. The other day I was craving something sweet, but the only thing chocolate I had in my house was a tin of baking cocoa. Well this calls for hot chocolate, vegan style! I poured 1 1/2 cups of soy milk in a sauce pan with 2 T of cocoa and a 1/2 t of Stevia. Whisk together on low heat until it starts to steam, not boil. Then I added a touch of vanilla before pouring. This was pretty darn good! Even hubby liked it. This is when I know something is good...if the carnivore likes it, it must be fantastic.

Lately I've been craving scrambled eggs. Yes, I still crave meat and dairy, but I just improvise with what I have. When we went to Moab for our reunion, I got to spend some time with my aunt and uncle who are vegan too. They took me to a restaurant that caters to us weirdos. I got the scrambled tofu. It was so incredibly yummy, I've been craving it ever since. So I decided to make my own tonight. I'm one of the pickiest eaters I know when it comes to textures, so I was a little apprehensive about making my own scrambled tofu. It was so easy! I took a handful of tofu and squeezed the excess water out. This made a perfect scrambled "egg" consistency before I even cooked it. Then I heated a nonstick skillet with a little bit of garlic flavored olive oil on medium heat. In went the tofu, salt, pepper, some Tony's, and onion powder. I was amazed at how this really tasted like eggs! I have found my new favorite breakfast dish. Oatmeal was starting to get a little old. I wish I had taken a picture of it, but I was so hungry and it smelled so good, I didn't get the chance. But I'll make it again tomorrow I'm sure!

Family Time Part 2

On the fifth day of our little family adventure, it was the last day of the reunion. I was a little bummed. First for having to get in the car again with kids who couldn't play nice, and second for not getting to go to Salt Lake at I had intended. So I got my camera out and took lots of pictures of people I'll miss until my next visit.

This is Great Grandma Dot. She likes to hit people with her cane...luckily, she didn't have it.

Next to that is one of her daughters who happens to be my grandmother.

This is my grandma's sister, Janice. She's only a few years older than mom, so we grew up with her kids...my second cousins I guess. Then here's Rosalie, one of Great Grandma Dot's sisters.

And of course here's me and my mom. That's grandpa on the right, mom's dad.

Well, we had a good time but it was time to leave. But not home...oh no. It was off to Nebraska to help my sister-in-law with some flooding problems!

Family time

The last 10 days have been a little crazy. The hubby got to miss out on all the fun, but I was right there in the middle of it. Last Wednesday and Thursday we drove from Houston to Oklahoma City to Moab, Utah for our family reunion. Once we got there, I had a good time. I really can't say the same for the trip there.

Just kill me now. This was day 3 in the car when we finally arrived in Moab.

Day 4 was pretty great. We went hiking in Arches National Park. Mile and a half one way my patootie!

Just a little further...

This was no mile and a half! But it was worth it.

This was just up to day 4. Stay tuned for the rest of my family vacation.

Saying goodbye to Lane Bryant

Weight: 166

I've hit a crucial turning point in my weight loss. I no longer wear clothes from Lane Bryant! Those of you not familiar with good ol' Lane are the lucky ones. It's a clothing store for sizes 14 and higher. I've been shopping there for about 3 years. After hitting a size 16/18 I couldn't wear normal clothes from Target or Macy's anymore. 16 petite is not exactly an easy size to find! But Lane Bryant never failed me. I could always find my size and was always happy with what I got.

So out with the old, and in with the older. I'm so glad I never got rid of my "old" size 12's. I didn't get to wear them very long before I started ballooning. I don't mind wearing clothes I wore before I got married. I don't need new ones. It gives me more pleasure putting on a 7 year old pair of jeans than it does to just buy new ones. Although, don't get me wrong, when I get a job I'm hittin' the mall!

Who done it?!

Even though I don't have kids, I can still feel very mom-ish sometimes. My cats are kind of like my kids, except I wouldn't die for them or take them on vacation with me. But when it comes to doing naughty things, I go all mommy on them. Lets take for example chewing on stuff that doesn't belong to them.

Was it you Phoebe?

Or maybe it was Belle?

No. I'm thinking it was the one who ALWAYS CHEWS ON STUFF!

Or what about this one?!

His favorite is glossy paper. You know, the kind from which pictures are made. I've lost many pictures due to his taste in chew toys. And it's not like I can put him in time out or take away his TV. Is there a cat whisperer somewhere who can help?

Scrappin' it

Last weekend mom and I went to a scrapbook retreat. "What? You scrapbook?" No. I like to pretend I do...I have a lot of stuff. I think that qualifies me as a scrapbooker. I did make about a dozen of these cool accordian books for our reunion coming up.

Pictures would go inside...so they tell me.

Like I said, mom went with me too.

I attempted to do some "normal" pages as well.

This didn't last long. Of course, mom and I weren't as die-hard as the other ladies there. We went shopping on Saturday, walked around the graveyard, and went to bed before midnight every night. I think it was a pretty fun weekend. I'm sure we'll be doing this again soon!

You mean I'm suppose to have protein?!

I love it when I come across the concerned person who thinks being vegan is UNhealthy. "Where do you get your protein?....Are you getting enough protein?....It's not healthy to not eat protein." I don't think I've ever met a person in this world who suffered from a protein deficiency. Did you know 2 tablespoons of peanut butter has 8 g of protein? Or 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds has 19 g of protein?! Or 1/2 cup of tofu has 20 g of protein?! Or 1/2 cup of beans has 7-10 g of protein?! I don't think I'm going to die from lack of protein any time soon.

Another one in calcium. Well, I did have to start taking a calcium supplement, but not because I stopped eating dairy. It actually came to my attention, when I started researching how much of what we all need to be healthy, that we need 1000 mg of calcium daily. I wasn't even getting this before, so I decided to start taking the calcium (600 mg thank you very much). Problem solved.

Can you tell I've been confronted today about this?

Meatless mania!

I have discovered the yummiest meatless wonder since going the big V! I kid you not, you would not be able to tell the difference between these and other processed chicken patties. I am in faux chicken heaven!