Sudo Vegan World…

Good Morning my dear friends!

I feel like the Tin man from Wizard of Oz, I just need a little oil and all my parts will be working again. It’s funny, my step son ( who is also a vegan, though MUCH further along then I.  We were talking the other day and it seems that though we both eat more healthy, we seem to the ones with the issues–go figure!)

One side note, then back to my story….

Per my EMG (nerve testing), I do not have nerve damage, my thigh’s atrophied, from ‘lack of use’ apparently. The reason this makes me SO angry is because I have asked for almost a year ‘ what is wrong, what can I do, what needs to be done?’ And I have gotten ‘ we don’t know, you have a weak thigh’. From what one person told me recently, ‘put some weights on it, all the cardio, leg lifts etc won’t help you if you don’t have weight’. UGH, really? I guess I keep thinking, had someone told me this a year ago, how many of my current medical issues RIGHT now could have been avoided? For now, it looks like I didn’t WANT to do anything or I WAS lazy or I WAS hurting too much when I WAS out walking two miles on a damn walker. OK vent over. So, now I am going to get some light weights, keep up my walking and try to get this pain in my damn thigh to stop and get my leg to stop looking like a squash. Also, this still doesn’t address my knee issues, my shoulder issues, my chest issues, BUT it’s a start and I am all for starts! I am just frustrated, but you know what? I lost over 90 pounds while being flat on my back, this isn’t going to stop me either!

To bring this all together. As a lot of you know, I lost a lot of weight with the Eat Clean diet ( thank you Beth and  Marissa and Ken) I couldn’t have continued at the gym when I was laid off if Marissa Jarrett and her husband Ken had not let me stay there with a VERY discounted rate so I have to REALLY say thank you to them, REALLY say thank you to them!  These are amazing trainers so if you are looking for some, check them out!

You can find my story here at the Eat Clean Site…

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/community/success_stories/traci_dean.aspx#responses

Tosca has come out with a Vegetarian cook book and is having guest bloggers on her site tell their stories –mine will appear May 20th…thank you so much for having me Tosca, it’s truly an honor!!!

http://toscareno.blogspot.com/

I  hope you will come check it out and read the other guest bloggers– there are so many interesting ones. Whether you are a vegan, vegetarian or just want to maybe try a meat-less meal every once in a while, swing by– it’s been a great read and trust me, my blog, will surprise you– it’s all I am sayin!!

I also have a good eats for you, I have stolen this from my step son Erik and revised it, it’s so delish!

Mango Tosda

Recipe:

1 whole wheat tortilla

1-2 tablespoons clean humus of choice

1-2 tablespoons clean salsa-Whole foods has an amazing one ( careful, you don’t want to make it TOO wet)

1/4 mango

1/4 avocado

Cover tortilla with humus and place in toaster oven, on a higher temperature– you want it to ‘bake’ and be crispy. Remove and add salsa, slices of avocado and slices of mango.

I usually eat two of these ( small tortillas), and then you can have the remaining mango for dinner . Or have one as a snack.  For non-vegans/vegetarians, you can add meat to this or I have even made them with green onions, lettuce, black beans and tomatoes–there are a lot of avenues.

My step son originally used a flat bread and  spicy humus. Before he became a vegan, he loved Little Caesars’ crazy bread and when the humus is baked it has a cheese like texture, but for me the tortilla is just lighter.

Hope you enjoy!  I will be in Texas for two weeks because my baby is graduating High School but after that, I will be around more!

Aye’ she’s got me…

Take care and God Bless!

xoxoxoxo

Traci

What Traci did today, I MUST love my husband!

I must love my husband because as you are starting to understand about me, I have the heart of a vegan, just not the taste buds of one. One thing I am loving about this new lifestyle is my husband is on board!  HE”s actually doing much better than ME! I did wonderful per the Eat Clean lifestyle.  I was GREAT at doing that, but with only fruits and veggies– I ‘m struggling at times.

So, when he comes to me and wants treats to take to work that aren’t full of sugar and chemicals, I’m SO on board and EVEN better, I DON’T eat them! Well, not most of them anyway! We seem to have become the muffin house as of late, so if anyone has any muffin recipes,  please pass them on.  The first one’s been a standard lately in our house and it’s in my recipes–the banana,walnut muffins but I added blueberries, so delish!

Banana, blueberry, walnut muffins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberries are one of the ONLY fruits I will eat cooked, yes I KNOW I’m a vegan, lol!!  My husband wanted some apple muffins instead of some quick treat he could buy at the store.  I thought, ok, I can try…

Apple, cinnamon muffins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael said these muffins were good, but judging by the disaster my kitchen was, I felt I was off to a good start.

Now, here’s the last experiment, don’t you just LOVE having your own personal tester!!  These LOOKED good, even to ME! Kinda like a cinnamon roll sooooo I thought, these are SO Michael! THESE were the best he said.

And by the way, these are ALL vegan–well I made them vegan!

Apple, brown sugar, walnut muffins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was how I spent my Sunday!  I am soooo tired I must say!  I AM  not a baker! But, I do feel better that he’s getting these from me and not buying  junk at the store.  Now, just to get Traci  more vegan friendly, I know, I know I’m getting there!!!

Hope you’re enjoying Palm Sunday!

xoxooxox

Traci

And then I HAD to tell the Hubby!

Good Evening my dear friends!

I apologize, and this shoulder injury is much harder to deal with then I anticipated, I  don’t get on the computer as much as I wish to. Working now and not sleeping well and I am worn out; we have found  that my tendon is torn, with tendonitis, arthritis, bursitis, etc.  I see an orthopedic specialist on February 2nd, hopefully we will have answers especially since it seems to have moved into my arm as well. I’m also having issues with my right shoulder now too???

I also see my knee surgeon on the 6th, it has been a year, can you believe it? And we are STILL having issues, more with limited bending and my thigh is still falling asleep, sigh! 

Please say a prayer! I had lunch with a dear friend today,  and mentioned how the Hubby was talking ‘ consequence’ and getting ‘legal’ thinking he was ‘off ‘ his walker’ lol! This was a bit ago-it has been some time since he mentioned this.  Thinking she would agree, but no she agreed with him. Her mother had TKR (total knee replacement) and didn’t have these issues, and had a lot more testing in the beginning than I! And my friend had a similar situation with her daughter’s school; she got all ‘mama bear’ on them, which is what prompted my friend’s remarks.  She said ‘ Traci; there are other surgeons, you do understand there is STILL a problem. He may be one of the best but you’re  still not fixed  that doesn’t mean he is ‘perfect’! And that though he may be ‘ the best’  that doesn’t mean to not look at other options or  someone else who may be able to fix you if they can’t or they keep  waiting for this or that’? Sigh, we will see. It just seems to be one long waiting game. I know some of this is me, my issues- just as I know some of this is because we couldn’t do PT as long as needed. Still; a year later, two manipulations and still having ‘ nerve like issues’? Guess we will see. I just keep praying!

Ok here in installment 2….

Yep; after finding out I weighed  245 pounds, I joined Weight Watchers. I had no choice, I was terrified, I had NO idea what to do, where to go and how to start. I learned a lot from them, and even still have my card…

WW Membership

There are 2 I learned from them which I am going to share-1.) journal- that is SO important!  You just can’t believe what all you put in your stomach during the day- I couldn’t believe it. I learned so much so much by writing down my daily food intake.  In fact, if anyone wants to take up this challenge with me, for 30 days I will do it with you, I will write down EVERYTHING I eat if you will!  Come on–everything including weekends!! t really does help, and it keeps you honest…who will do it with me? I need to get my butt in gear too? That is going to be my next post; we should make set up a challenge for our selves- even us old timers need help too!

Food Diary

Above is my journal in which I faithfully wrote EVERY day.

The other thing I really learned in Weight Watchers was to drink my water. I HATE drinking water, I will tell you! Never been my thing…so what I learned to do was drink tea (decaf).  I LOVE tea, and they told me that decaf tea could count as my water so, I drink it hot, cold, whichever, whatever to get my water in!

Weight Watchers Cup

I now try to drink two to three of these a day (cup), which I never did before.  helps that this is a cup with measurement marks to guide me. I wonder if they still give these out? I actually won this for losing 5 pounds one week!

My last thing I am going to share is Beth Downey’s ( you will hear more about  her later when I talk of joining the Brickhouse) Superman Muffins with you! THESE are amazing!  I have TRIED to  put a recipe section on here but could NOT get it to work, sigh, will have to work on it.  But these babies SAVED me after my surgery!!! And this was the first time I made them Vegan ( I don’t use eggs or milk) and they were just as yummy!

So, here goes!

Thank you BETH!

Beth and I

Now I add about 1/4 a cup more flour and 1/4 a cup more oats,

I don’t like them wet ( I mix this to  make the batter thicker)but do it to taste-

I also add dark chocolate chips to mine per the notes…. Enjoy, I love them!

Also- I have never used pumpkin spice, I know people have used oatmeal instead of oats and what not,

I have not tried that.

Here is the calorie content:

Plain muffins have about 125 calories but adding the below increases the calorie count as stated;

Then I usually add the following:

• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I usually use pecans) (158 calories per muffin with this addition)

OR

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (170 calories per muffin with this addition)

OR

• 1/2 cup dried fruit (147 calories per muffin with this addition)

                                                                                                            

                  “SUPERMAN” MUFFINS-Per Beth Downey

Basic recipe:

Ingredients

* 1  cups whole rolled oats OR wheat bran

• 1 cup nonfat milk
• I used rice milk
• Info for rice milk below
• *  cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1 egg
• I used 1/3^rd cup almond milk, 1tsp lemon juice
• Calories for almond milk below

  * 1/3 cup brown sugar

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 cup whole wheat flour

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• I used ground Jamaican Allspice

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 ripe banana (mashed)

• 1 small zucchini (peeled and finely grated)
• I used half a large zucchini

* 1 medium carrot (peeled and finely grated)

then add (1) of the following:

* 1/2 cup dried mixed berries

* 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• I used vegan dark chocolate chips-sorry, don’t still have the bag for them, 
• but you can get them at amy whole foods, just note they need to be 7o% or greater

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Spray muffin cups or use paper muffin liners.

Mix together whole rolled oats and milk, and let stand for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together mashed banana, applesauce,egg, brown sugar, zucchini, carrot, and vanilla.egg, brown sugar, zucchini, carrot, and vanilla.

Sift together whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

Stir into rolled oat and milk mixture until just blended. Fold in dried berries, nuts, or chocolate chips.

Scoop into muffin cups.

 Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes to 20 minutes,

or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 full size muffins.

Mini muffins cook for 12 – 18 minutes (makes 48 mini muffins)

I will try to add more entries to this blog more often, perhaps twice a week; sorry I’m so late with this one.

Thanks for stopping by and God Bless!

xoxoxoxo

Traci