I totally wanted junk food last night, but I ended up with whole wheat pasta and broccoli, with some nooch and spices. Yay me!

My car guy can't get to it until Monday so I rented a car today. It's a 2017 Chevy Cruze with a bazillion lights, gauges, screens and gadgets. I hate it lol.

Obviously didn't make it to the office today. Been working on a few things from home, but I didn't have much in my briefcase since I didn't intend on working from home today. Going to get to bed super early tonight so I can hit the office super early tomorrow.

I didn’t post about it last night because it was too fresh, but my last uncle on my mom’s side died on Tuesday. I just found out last night, and it was too late for me to arrange to drive over 3 hours each way to go to the funeral this afternoon. I have had a rough day. That’s the last of my mom’s family gone now. I didn’t feel so bad last night, we had been expecting the news since he was very ill with cancer, but I woke up this morning and started crying and I’ve been weepy all day off and on. I think it brings back the feelings of loss when Mom died, which was 26 years ago now. Anyway, I told my boss I needed some “me” time, so I left the office a little after noon and going to chill for the rest of the day. He was fine with that (he should be, I work 7 days a week lol) and I’ll be working all day tomorrow and Sunday. It just seems like these deaths of family and friends have been hitting too frequently.

So anyway… I went to the grocery and going to make black bean tofu enchiladas for tonight. Also got stuff to make the chili this weekend (finally) and a double batch of glowing spice lentil soup later this week.

I should have checked the forum before I got stuff to make chili, Carla. I could try that recipe. I have a standard chili I make, which is really just my old “throw it all together” chili from way, way back when I ate meat, but now I use a variety of beans and some mushrooms instead of ground beef, and of course lots of green pepper and onion. No measuring or consistency in what spices I use, but it’s always good. The car is okay, and I didn’t get charged because I have a credit balance with my mechanic. Whew!

Donna, I use the Kroger organic or Pacific brands of veggie broth in most of my soups. They are both good I think. On my one and only trip to Vancouver a few years back we went to http://www.nuba.ca/ … lots of vegan options and the food was fantastic! That is so great you are almost to your Thanksgiving goal. I feel confident you will make it by then!

As to the OSG cookbook, the first one a resounding YES!!! It is my go-to cookbook. When it came out the entire ETL group sounded more like an OSG fan club than an ETL group lol. The second one, while I have liked the few recipes I tried, for some reason just didn’t resonate with me as much. I don’t flip through it and think oh I simply HAVE to make that in the same way I did with the first one. I think Angela is absolutely gifted when it comes to soup, and they can all be made ETL friendly by leaving out the oil. I have made nearly all of them from the first cookbook multiple times and love them all. The Tex-Mex Casserole is awesome, as are both versions of the noodle bowl, and the protein power goddess bowl. She has a lightened up version (less oil) of the goddess bowl on her website which is the recipe I use. I have tried to make the goddess bowl dressing with no oil, and sorry to say it's just not the same.

I’m off to make enchiladas, haven’t had lunch yet so I’ll have a late lunch/early dinner, and then I think a nap is in order.

Thanks Donna, felt a lot better today. I know what you mean, I think of my parents daily, but time does heal.

Spent about 7 hours at the office then to my brother and sis-in-laws's for her birthday, we just had munchies and wine. Was nice to be with family. Not a very ETL evening though. Back to the office tomorrow, we're still really scrambling on several things that I need to get finished up.

When do you think you will have the shawl done Carla? And definitely can get pinto beans in a can. I went through a stage of cooking from dry but I'm too lazy of a cook to do that often. Maybe if I had an Instant Pot. I found so many bags of beans that I had cooked from dry and frozen that I had to throw out when I did the freezer overhaul though. Eek!

I got my books today. I have In Defense of Food, Dr. F's End of Diabetes (I half-*kitten* read it a while back on borrow from the library on kindle, but I don't like reading books like that on kindle) and Vegan Richa's Everyday Kitchen. The pictures look amazing... can't wait to try out some recipes!

WOOHOO!!! Great job on reaching your Thanksgiving goal, and early even Donna! You and your husband both are really rocking the ETL lifestyle. How did his PT test go? Eat for Health is friendlier to real life I think, and still super healthy! I agree cooking beans from scratch is best, and I also rinse my canned beans, and really I think they taste better from scratch too. Like Carla mentioned, I don't add any salt at all when cooking my own from dried. I'll probably try to make some more this winter and freeze them like I did before.

Work is still super busy and crazy, and I am so looking forward to Friday in the office alone to do some catching up.

Congrats on the house Karrie! And glad to hear you are loving the new job.

Donna, your Thanksgiving plans sound very healthy and fun! I tend not to get too fussed over holiday meals. It's one meal, and it's not like I don't do a cheat meal or have some alcohol every week or two anyway. Relax and enjoy!

That said, I do plan to get back to basics from Friday through Christmas Eve (or maybe Saturday since my brother and his wife will probably send me home with leftovers tomorrow). I have been feeling like my blood sugar is out of whack lately and need to get it together and lose some more weight. I am going to start reading End of Diabetes tonight and put that plan in place for the next few weeks.