Dashing through December
Mihani
Posts: 4,133 Member
Been hearing too many Christmas Carols since Thanksgiving and thinking of Dashing through the Snow. LOL
Welcome to December ETLers!
Austin, re: your last post in November. That is so funny I was thinking last night I miss my old peanut butter cookies I used to make at Christmas (along with about a dozen other varieties) so I will have to give Dr. F's recipe a try! I'll give your simple cucumber dressing idea a try too.
My goals this month are to get better about exercise and keep on keepin' on with diet. I figure there are 2 parties coming up next week, and gatherings Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. That's a total of 4 things this month that will involve wine and some non-nutritarian food. That's certainly no excuse to relax my efforts for a month! Fortunately, being vegan, all the goodies that get sent to the office aren't a temptation for me as they are always chocolates or cookies that have milk and/or butter.
Welcome to December ETLers!
Austin, re: your last post in November. That is so funny I was thinking last night I miss my old peanut butter cookies I used to make at Christmas (along with about a dozen other varieties) so I will have to give Dr. F's recipe a try! I'll give your simple cucumber dressing idea a try too.
My goals this month are to get better about exercise and keep on keepin' on with diet. I figure there are 2 parties coming up next week, and gatherings Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. That's a total of 4 things this month that will involve wine and some non-nutritarian food. That's certainly no excuse to relax my efforts for a month! Fortunately, being vegan, all the goodies that get sent to the office aren't a temptation for me as they are always chocolates or cookies that have milk and/or butter.
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Thank you @Mihani ! I love "dashing through December!"
I hopped on here really quickly to say that I just made the OhSheGlows Eat Your Greens Detox Soup. WOW. I love it! Howl-at-the-moon good!0 -
I didn't get around to that soup yet Austin. I will give it a try soon for sure. I love the OSG soup recipes. I have tried probably 8 or 10 of them and they have ALL been winners.
I got some prep done today. Cleaned 2 heads of red leaf lettuce and ran carrots and beets through the shredder on the food processor so I'm all set for salads. Made the cabbage and kale casserole and baked a couple sweet potatoes.
This weekend has been a bit of a bust for me. I didn't get enough done on work or otherwise. Still recovering from the virus and slept quite a bit. Pretty back to normal now thank goodness.0 -
Hi @Mihani !
I hope you are feeling better and that your week is going a bit better! Your prep sounds great. I haven't had beets in a while. I'll see if they have some at the grocery.
I had a tough day yesterday. My beloved car died. I'll hear from the mechanic today, but chances are high that this issue is the end of the line. I did stay on the food plan and squeezed a walk in late last evening, so that's all good.
I need to do some non-nutritarian cooking for a Boy Scouts event tomorrow, but that should go okay. It's always easy to leave baked goods alone if they are "for company." I am saving my last couple nutritarian peanut butter cookies, so I will have a baked thing, too.0 -
Oh no! Sorry about your car Austin. That is awful. I hope if it did die you find a car you love as much. Good luck with your baking.
I have the first of a couple holiday parties tomorrow night. I am sure there won't be much vegan other than salad so I'm fairly safe. I'll have a glass or two of wine.
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Hi there @Mihani ! Good news! We will be able to replace the transmission that died for a price that has it make sense to keep the car. It will take a few weeks, so that adds a wrinkle to year end. Ah well!
I hope your holiday party goes well tonight -- both the fun and the taking care of your health!0 -
Yay for saving your car, Austin! I didn't end up going to the party. My stomach is still pretty iffy from my virus and I'm still tired, so I blew it off.
I was going to get grocery delivery tonight but I missed the window so I'll have to do it tomorrow. I am totally sold on having my groceries shopped and delivered. I don't always do it, but when I'm super busy and tired it sure is handy, and they always have deals on things that you can order enough of that delivery is free, so I add the delivery charge to the tip which all goes to the shopper.1 -
Hi guys. I went to my first party of the season for our vegan book club and thought I would bring a red lentil chili I quite like from Chef AJ. It went over like a lead balloon. These ladies while vegan eat a ton of processed food so I think the lack of oil, sugar and salt wasn't appreciated. I've eaten this way so long I guess my tastebuds have adjusted. I don't think they could handle Fuhrman recipes.
I made a really nice sweet potato casserole from Forks Over Knives. Boy was that delicious. It tasted like a holiday type dish with cranberries and rosemary. The texture of the mushrooms was reminiscent of stuffing.
If you are looking for something to make..highly recommend it.
Here's the link:
https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/sweet-potato-casserole-with-herbed-mushroom-stuffing-vegan-recipe/#gs.3m0329Y1 -
Thanks for the recipe Michele, I wish I had some sweet potatoes on hand to try it out this weekend. Sorry your chili wasn't a hit. I think you are likely correct in that most people are so used to oil, salt, etc. and it does take a while for your tastes to change. I have been disappointed to see dishes I take to parties barely touched sometimes, but other times they get gobbled up. I find things with a lot of SOS now kinda gross tasting. Here's a really good chili recipe from OSG: https://ohsheglows.com/2014/02/05/my-favourite-vegan-chili-with-homemade-sour-cream/ The sour cream is even compliant if you factor it into your serving of nuts for the day.
Btw, the sour cream recipe I have modified for mexican dishes. I use lime instead of lemon and add fresh cilantro to the blender. It is soooo good with burritos or enchiladas.
I have still been feeling sick and not into much in the way of food, compliant or otherwise. I am really thinking it is mostly stress from work and I need to get back into some yoga and mindfulness. I find it helpful to reduce stress, but it's harder to remember to do it when I'm stressed and overwhelmingly busy. Catch-22!
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Mihani - I am so glad you are doing the grocery delivery with how busy you are.
MizmicheIe - love sweet potatoes so I will have to try this casserole. I think that is somewhat common with young people who want to go vegan....they go with pasta, breads, etc but don't incorporate the important beans into their diet.
I am concentrating in getting my 4 fruits a day and at least one serving of beans a day. I have been making a vegetarian black bean soup almost every week.
Had a great 2 weeks in Italy. Walked 8 miles daily and swam 2-3 times a week. Ate a lot of pizzas with only vegetables including my favorite white asparagus and artichoke pizza with pears and basil olive oil sauce. My hip pain started back with all the hiking and walking but has since called down. My masseuse friend gave me a massage and thought I had a tight IT band.
I am back in Hilton head now for 4 weeks. In January I start training for my next triathlon in 2019.
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Hi @mizmichele - I am so sorry people did not appreciate your red lentil chili more! I looked up the recipe and it looks great! I just put it on my "to try" list. I am also going to have to try that sweet potato casserole recipe as well. It looks like a great thing to put on the menu during the holidays!
@Mihani - I am going to try the chili recipe you recommended as well!
@bisky - Welcome back from Italy! It sounds like it was a fun trip!0 -
This morning I dug up my book and workbook from the mindfulness course I took a couple years ago. And right there under them was an issue of Yoga Journal that I had picked up at the health food store one day that is all about relieving anxiety and stress. I think it's a sign!
Working from home today so I'll take a few hours to cook and prep, and also de-dog-hair the bedroom floor so I have a place to practice the yoga and mindfulness. I have lots of goodies for salad to prep, and plan to make red lentil kale soup and the eat your greens soup today. I didn't buy broccoli, but I have lots of frozen so I'll just use that in the greens soup. This morning I'm making my favorite tofu scramble. https://minimalistbaker.com/southwest-tofu-scramble/
Welcome back Donna! Your trip sounds wonderful.
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Welcome back, Donna!
I need to get back into some yoga too, Mihani. Enjoy your day at home and don't work too hard!!
MizmicheIe, thanks for that casserole recipe. I bought the ingredients this morning and am trying it out tonight!
Austin, what a relief about your car!
I made pasta sauce last night for dinner Lots of veggies and garlic and a bunch of mushrooms. more of that walnut parm on top. yum. Now I just need to start serving it with spaghetti squash instead of pasta.2 -
Finished making the Eat Your Greens Detox Soup from the first OSG cookbook. Oh my, sooo good. It has greens, onions, mushrooms. I think next time I'll throw in a can of chickpeas so it will have nearly all the GBOMBS.
Carla, I've been considering a spiralizer, but I have so many gadgets I never use. They aren't very expensive though. The sauce sounds good. Have you tried any of the bean pastas? I've used them a couple times and think they are good.0 -
I never use my spiralizer. I don't know if it was a bad brand or if it's just not for me. I think it is Karrie that loves hers. The bean pastas are good, they just aren't carried at our local grocery store. I should stock up when we go to Whole Foods or the coop.
The last 2 times I made spaghetti squash for a Clean Food Dirty Girl recipe, I thought it was good and so easy. I should make it more often.0 -
I like spaghetti squash too, but for some reason I rarely get it. I think I just forget about it unless I'm making a specific recipe.
Yesterday I made my soups, roasted broccoli, sesame ginger asparagus, balsamic roasted mushrooms. Going to prep my salad stuff this morning and then head up to my desk for the entire day since I didn't get much work done yesterday.
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Fabulous prep work Mihani.
The yam casserole turned out really good. It's nice to have another home run dish we can bring to holiday celebrations. @mizmichele thanks for the recipe!
Had a great fiber dyeing day yesterday. I always get more steps in on dyeing days walking back and forth between the shop and the house as I forget things and need to resupply.
I have a picture of my fiber and my food. Since this is ETL, I guess I'll post the food!
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(really funny...now that i'm looking at the pic, i see that the topping pretty much looks like our counter!)0
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Greetings, Eating to Live folks! Just popping in to say hello. Hope you are all doing well. Do you have plans for surviving the holiday season?
If you'll recall, I started a job back in September. The job was not what I expected (and, honestly, not what had been described to me). I was miserable, and chose to leave the position in mid-November. I am just now looking for work again. We have a close family member who is in the last stage of cancer and between being available for her and preparing for family coming for the holidays, I decided to postpone my search and will hopefully find something that will start in January.
As for food, I've settled into following the McDougall food plan. I've come to realize that I need the satiety of starch. Every time I attempt Eat to Live, with the heavy focus on greens, I fall off the band wagon. There are times of the year when I prefer and crave fresh greens, but this time of year, not so much. Who knows, maybe I'll just flex between the two depending on the season.
Best wishes!
Jacque
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Carla, did you finish your workshop in dyes? Can't wait to see your latest creations. That casserole looks great, and matches your countertop nicely.
Hiya Jacquie, good to see you. I follow McDougall and/or Engine 2 at various times myself. I love starches so sometimes it's easier for me. The Engine 2 Seven Day Rescue Diet is fun and they have a great support group on facebook. Sorry to hear about your family member.
It's going to be crazy the next few weeks at work. End of the year is always overwhelming with deadlines and I'm already hopelessly behind. I'm going to stick to very simple preps... lots of oatmeal, salads, roasted or steamed veggies/greens, beans.
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Hi Jacquie! Nice to see you! I am so sorry to hear about your family member, and glad it works for you to spend the time with them.
Carla, that's a gorgeous casserole! I may make one for my Saturday party!
Hi @Mihani ! I am eating a lot of fairly simple things, too, in the run-up to the holidays. Green smoothie in the morning, big salad and a piece of fruit for lunch (plus a veggie soup if I have made one), big bed of steamed greens topped with beans for dinner, plus some fruit (or flip the salad and beans-and-greens meals). Having a rhythm helps it stay easy.
I am about to finish up my big pot of Mexican spiced pintos, and may make this dal as my next pot of beans:
https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/yellow-split-pea-dal/0 -
Ahhh... love Connoisseurusveg, Austin. Such great recipes on there. I have made quite a few but can't remember off the top of my head which ones.
I still have work to finish tonight. Ugh!!! I am not a happy camper in December. I always wonder, what idiot decided the end of the calendar year and most fiscal years should coincide with Christmas and New Year? In certain businesses (like mine being law) the holidays are like a blip in the midst of all the chaos.
Here's a really good recipe for butternut squash/pear soup. I haven't made it in a few years but was suddenly craving it and plan to make this weekend: https://www.theveganroad.com/recipes/roasted-butternut-squash-pear-soup/
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I didn't know about connoisseurus veg! Thanks for the link!
hi Jacque, sorry about the bad news about your job and your relative. No need to be ETL to hang out with us here
Joe and I are going to go to my parents for Christmas dinner. I think I'll make the festive tart I linked a while back for our meal. I finished the last of that yam recipe yesterday. Also a contender, though I think I'll try us to the one with the pie crust for the holidays.
Mihani, December sounds so miserable for you! All of the work chaos and no time to relax and enjoy the holidays. Is there at least a bit of a lull in January to recover?
I'm going to make a tomato, bean and kale soup for dinner tonight. Oh. I WAS going to...I just remembered we're going out for dinner with family! I am getting a nice veggie curry dish they have there. I wish it wasn't as fatty as it is, but I will order a side salad and save some for later. Soup will have to wait a day or two.
Here's the yarn I didn't post the other day. (hand spun merino and silk, hand dyed)
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Beautiful yarn Carla! Hope you had fun at dinner. I'm still working like a maniac and will be until mid-January then a bit of time to catch my breath before tax time starts. Fun never ends.
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I am definitely dashing through December. So busy. I am swamped at work. I'll be at the office all weekend for sure. Thank goodness for Amazon, my Christmas shopping is done! I did make time last night for another batch of the OSG Eat Your Greens soup. A new favorite. So refreshing. I meant to throw a can of chickpeas in it this time but forgot. I will do that next time. I'm just happy dinner is set for a few days now. A big bowl of soup and a slice of sprouted grain toast followed by some fruit is just fine with me. Oh, I used a bag of the Whole Foods frozen mixed mushrooms rather than fresh in the soup this time and actually think it turned out better with the variety of mushrooms.
Did y'all see more recalls... red and green leaf lettuce and cauliflower. It's like a conspiracy to keep us from eating healthfully!!! I have been doing wraps with hummus and baby spinach at lunch. It's store-bought not homemade hummus, so it does have some oil, but I'm just doing the best I can this week and not fussing too much over it. Next week will be just as crazy with end of year deadlines, but then I should have a little breathing room for a couple weeks in January to do some cooking and freezing to get me through tax time.
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Merry Christmas Eve ETLers! I am heading to the office early and will be getting out mid-afternoon, spending the evening with family friends. Tomorrow will be a fun day with the family opening presents, having dinner, drinking some wine. We're technically closed on Wednesday but I'm going in.
I have been really off the rails the past week. Lots of pretzels and blue corn chips, peanut butter toast, and this weekend some beers. I am going to do some cooking and prepping tonight and tomorrow morning so that I'm ready to get back to 100% starting Wednesday.
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Merry Christmas Eve! Happy day after Festivus!
I, too, have some meal prep and planning work to do today. I haven';t chosen everything, but I know I will include the Eat Your Greens soup again. I love that, and so appreciate this group introducing me to it!
Recent recipe adventures: I am almost done with the batch of Yellow Split Pea Dal from connoisseurusveg.com that I made. I love it! I also just finished up a batch of Cauliflower and Spinach Mash, from the Eat to Live Cookbook.0 -
I am mildly obsessed with the Eat Your Greens soup Austin! Picked up veggies to make that again also. I'm going to try to remember to add a can of chickpeas this time. When I got home from the office I made https://ohmyveggies.com/golden-french-lentil-stew-from-oh-she-glows-every-day/ I've made it before and really like it. As with most OSG recipes it is just as tasty with leaving out the oil. I have made it with chard and kale and think I prefer the chard in that particular recipe.
Other than that I have lots of veggies and lettuce to prep for salads, and will make a batch of E2 hummus.
I still have to wrap presents. Not sure if I'm going to get at that now or procrastinate until morning. It took me a while but I'm totally into the holiday spirit now. Had fun visiting with friends this evening and looking forward to family time tomorrow, although I sort of feel like I'm coming down with a cold. Ugh. No time for that!
In the spirit of the holidays, just want to say how much I appreciate all of you! I am certainly no poster child for perfect ETL living, but I do my best and this small but supremely supportive group of people means a lot to me.
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Got an instant pot for Christmas. Game. Changer. Looking forward to playing with it.1
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Merry Christmas all! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas.
Mine was definitely not ETL friendly, but I made it through all of the annual pressure to eat meat and instead enjoyed my festive holiday tart. I paired it with a new WFPB mushroom gravy recipe I found, and that gravy will be my new go-to (https://www.plantbasedcooking.com/recipe/vegan-mushroom-gravy/). I made the maple pumpkin pie from Oh She Glows and some rosewater pistachio cookies from the Veganomicon so that there were dairy free dessert options.
I am going to talk with Joe and see if he is up for the epic challenge of making our CFDG meals every week for all of 2019! I know it would be a fantastic gift to ourselves.
Mihani, I am so glad you were gifted an IP. I think you are going to love it. I will poke around and see what I can find for recipes I've enjoyed in particular. Every single weekend that we batch we end up using the IP, even if it is just for cooking our beans and grains.0 -
Thanks for the recipe Carla... I haven't yet found a gravy that I love so I'll give this one a try next time. That would be very cool if you and Joe can get into the routine of doing the meal plans every week. I imagine if you kept it up consistently it would get easier and easier. I am still having trouble getting back into my prepping groove here.
I left work a little early today, ran to Trader Joe's and stocked up on frozen veggie stir-fry, going to work from home well into the evening. End of year pressure is really on now. I'll be working all weekend for sure, and the frozen veggies will come in handy. I will probably put off making the Eat Your Greens soup until tomorrow. Still have leftover lentil stew to eat.
B - oats with blueberries, chia seeds, turmeric and cinnamon
L - big ol' salad with carrots, peppers, sunflower seeds, mustard/bragg's for dressing
D - leftover lentil stew and spinach salad with chopped apple
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