Morning lady, super plants! LOVE the name for November, Mihani...perrrrrrrrfecto!

Just having coffee...and then off the races. Managed a good night's sleep...don't cha just love that. Always grateful.

Mihani, your menu sounds delish...and I will say, I love the refried beans in the salad...makes it more substantial...and I love the crunchy salad with the soft, warm beans.

Today's menu is a repeat of yesterdays. Not too happy...but I will be back on the salad trail for dinner tomorrow night.

My juice load I made over my weekend is staying fresh, thanks to vacuum sealing. BIO CHEF gizmo from this juice guy on YOUTUBE. He sells juicers and knows more about juicing that anyone. Here's the link if anyone is interested... https://www.youtube.com/user/rawfoods

Wishing all of your a splendid day...

AUSTIN...so happy to see you...love the graphic...work is going fine...finished two juices and lunch...at about 3:30 will have my second carrot/apple/ginger/lemon

After work, baked potato, steamed carrot/broccoli and cauliflower.

I am learning to live without eating so much all day long. The juicing helps for me to get over the hump.

The pain from two nights ago...nothing like that since. I had some salad bean and veggies ... made by someone at work...wondering if there was something in that that totally set off the inflammation in my knees...actually both.

Oh well, better today.

Later, dollies.

Quick evening check in: my big salad tonight was a TACO salad of sorts. Thanks for the inspiration, @Mihani and @Magic71755 !

B-green smoothie (broccoli, blueberries, spinach, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, flax meal, hemp hearts), mango and apple slices
L-spinach, navy beans, tomatoes & green chiles plus diced raw onion; steamed carrots, beets & mushrooms; steamed butternut, cranberries & jicama plus diced fresh apple
S-almond butter, goji berries & cashews
D-chopped salad (romaine, green bell pepper, radish, celery, roma tomato, celery, cucumber, onion, avocado), apple cider vinegar, spicy navy beans; steamed pumpkin, jicama & butternut with diced apple; goji berries & smidge of almond butter

Morning, Plant Family!

I'm working on pushing my top priorities to the a.m., so planning my menu on MFP, getting my piano practice in (I have a zoom recital in January), working out and working on my website for my new business.

Hard to believe that we are heading towards the end of the year.

Despite all, I think this has been a good year...I have a Plant Family, our son passed his first college class, and everyone in our household is healthy.

Hope everyone is well. You each inspire me every day!

Hello!

It has been a long time but I am back for a while. So much has happened with everyone. I have been reading posts to catch up. You all are so inspiring.

I was in the hospital last month for severe anemia. Thank you to Mihani for suggesting I take B12 when I went towards a more vegetarian diet because my B12 and Folate normals were normal so my anemia was not diet related. It is due to either blood loss somewhere or not absorbing iron. I have had a million tests. Good news LDL, HDL and total cholesterol were all good and I attribute that to not eating meat. I do have eggs or fish in my diet but not everyday. Plus my A1C was 5.0 which is great.
I do have a large hiatal hernia that needs surgery so I am going to try to lose 20 more lbs prior to surgery (maybe in January).
Anyways today: B- bran cereal, blueberries, walnuts and almond milk. Coffee & almond creamer L - Salade lettuce, quinoa, avocado and turmeric dressing. Snack Norwegian see bread with all nut butter Dinner - black bean and lentil soup, dirty rice with vegan chorizo.

November 3 Tuesday
Vote 6AM in person!
Coffee
Carrot/Ginger/Lemon/Apple juice
Birthday Brunch* at sister's...

HOME with My Best Girl...
Taco Salad for Dinner
Enjoy Life Cookies for dessert with Ginger/Lemon tea

*So, I had emailed my sister, asking what she was serving...never got an answer. Decided to just ask if it was all right for me to bring my own food today...(I mean, that is so weird, right? ) You would think, she would have said something nicer or more caring that YES.

We do not pick our families...but man, how rude of my sister. Apparently she thinks my plant based life is a joke. She could have said something like, of course...or I will have veggies there for you to snack on...but NO. I guarantee it there will be nothing JUST PLANT BASED.

I am just going to make it easy on myself. Making a sandwich...and a good one. Had stopped with the bread for awhile...but just so I do not have to use her stove or oven...I am bringing something easy. I picked up sour dough from trader joe's yesterday...wheat but no dairy. And I will be using plant based meat and cheese. It is an emergency kind of thing...so I think this one time will be ok.

I already feel isolated when I go to her house for gatherings...when eating different than everyone else...so I was thinking a sandwich would be simple. I hate that gatherings make me crazy nervous. She only having 13 people...and I will stay AWAY from everyone.

Will stay just a short time...and back with Lulu. This is my first time being near this many people other than work.

Thanks for letting me ramble.

Welcome back Bisky. So sorry about your health problems.

Just finishing my black coffee and then off to vote. Love you guys. HUGS all around.

Magic, I understand about sisters. Two years ago I spent most of the fall living with my older sister to help her with her husband who was sick. She is an unhealthy thin person…her diet would be coffee for breakfast, chocolate for lunch with more coffee and then steak, salad, cooked vegetable (with cheese & butter) and a salad and wine. I was so hungry all the time l stayed with her I turned to carbs (chips, cookies, etc) to fill me up and then cheese. I had such a hard time sticking up for myself other than refusing to eat meat. I felt as if my diet was stressing her out even more. I learned a very hard lesson because it set me back for a year with all the cravings for sugar. Meat is not a problem but processed carbs? Yep.

Anyways, recently found out about chickpea pasta, Banza…OMG a whole new world has opened up in my kitchen!!!! My husband can’t tell the difference with some of my favorite pasta dishes I learned in Italy.

B- coffee, bran flakes, blueberries, walnuts, sunflower seeds and almond milk
L - black bean & lentil vegetable soup with green salad and almond dressing
D - salad with quinoa, roasted vegetables and almond curry dressing

E - long walk with friend & dogs

Good morning!
Things are hopping here today --woohoo!

@magic71755 Hurray for getting up early to cast your ballot!
And also hurray for taking care of yourself at your sister's brunch. I am sorry that is not an easier relationship, and I sympathize. I have a sister I don't talk to much. And come to think of it, the last time I was at her house, she served a lunch my son could not eat (food allergy, which she knew about, and those can be a no-joke thing). We just didn't eat. So, people can be... oblivious. All I can do in that situation is assume that whatever I am doing doesn't much matter to others, really. Breathe. Smile. Keep moving.

Anyway, sending you a hug.

Oooh, and in case it helps, BJ Fogg (author of Tiny Habits) included these great suggestion for a tiny habit relating to anxiety in this week's newsletter. I have been using #3 since I read the suggestion!
“After I realize I’m rushing, I will slow down 20%.”
“After I feel anxious, I will slow my movements until I feel calmer.”
“After I recognize tension inside myself, I will deliberately move more slowly.”

@bisky
So glad to see you here! And I am so sorry to hear about your health problems, and so glad to hear you are feeling better.
Your story of living with your sister -- oh, ouch. That would have been disastrous for me, too. I don't tell most people that I don't eat added sugar because it seems so crazy to most. And it's not a change I made because I didn't love the taste. It was just that the health cost for me was awful.

@Mihani
What a great food plan!

My treat today has been pepitas. I am roasting a pumpkin and made sure to toast the seeds as well. I never quite remember how good fresh roasted pumpkin seeds are. I had them instead of flax meal at breakfast. Yum!

Magic, what I meant was saying no to meat was not a problem with me. What I struggle with is unhealthy carbs (pasta, cookies, chips and bread).

November 4 Wednesday

black coffee
celery juice
avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion sandwich on sourdough
big ol' Asian pear
carrot apple ginger lemon juice
more taco salad
lemon ginger tea, Enjoy Life cookies




Thanks so much for all the support, lovelies! Yesterday, get this...my sister served up Belgian waffles with syrup, whip cream...and butter...this egg dish she makes...granted it is good, if you are not plant based...but not good for you...egg, tons of cheese, green chilies ... I think cottage cheese...oh I don't even know since I don't eat it...all baked and served up hot...what else? Cheese and crackers and grapes to snack on before brunch; ...oh, and there was a fruit salad...which I had...nothing added. Cake pretty decadent coffee cake.

I sat at one of the tables with my sandwich and fruit salad...later, I had one of my carrot/apple juices. NO ONE said a word. My sister did not ask if I needed anything or if I was ok...nothing. WE ARE NOT CLOSE...we never have been...it really is sad. My mom said, years ago...that's your sister...you either accept her the way she is, or NOT.

I mean, she was talking on the cell phone to one of the group from Colorado who could not make it...she came over to the table I was at and told the gal on the phone...here is and named off all the couples at the table, and left ME OFF. One of the husbands said AND NANC! Oh well.

Oh well, I came home, hugged Lulu and settled in for the results. What a mess it all is. I just pray our police do not get injured or God Forbid, killed, trying to stop the idiots rioting all ready.

I have booked my organizer for four days in December. In the meantime, I have to declutter all the rooms in the house, so she can then organize what I am keeping...that is MY CHRISTMAS/HANNUKAH present for LULU AND ME!

Later dollies...I am going to finish my coffee and then get ready to go get gas, and head to Costco. I want those yummy Asian Pears.

LOVE YOU!

Happy Wed. Last night I ate more than I did in the preceding two days, and then I finally decided that no amount of eating would make my election anxiety go away!

So, today, back to habits which support my well-being!

Magic: My older brother and I could not have been more different, and there was a fair amount of sibling rivalry, so I feel for you. I just tried to remember that no one had lived that childhood with me other than he, and tried to focus our relationship on that commonality...though no easy, since he could be pretty dismissive.

Good evening, plant-based friends!

@magic71755 , I am so sorry about your experience with your sister. If you want some kind of social connection with her, it sounds like you just breathe and let her be as she is, and remember that how she is has nothing to do with you. And then take or leave what those interactions offer. I do get the no-fun-ness. Being left off a list of who was at the table would have punched *my* "being left out" buttons!

Washing produce varies a bit -- water and a brush and a bit of soap (things with rough skins I am not going to eat), water and a sponge (thin skinned things), rinsing (thin skinned things like berries).

@ShredWeek1
Hurray for being back to those fitness habits!
Your piano recital sounds wonderful! I love the Goldberg variations, and am going to look that Scriabin piece up!

@Mihani
Hurray for the Panda Planner! I am liking the "3 things" for the day part the best.
My husband is continuing to recover. Thanks for asking! He is doing physical therapy sessions twice a week. We checked in with his ortho today, and he is happy with the progress. It will be months before he is back to full functionality, but he is getting better week by week!

@bisky
"Once I go down that road of chips, cookies and bread...I want more and am never satisfied." <= Me, too, to every word of this.

Also, thanks for sharing your comments about the importance of B vitamin supplementation. I get lazy some days, and it's a great reminder to stay at it on those!

B - green smoothie; apple & peach slices; pumpkin seeds
L-turnip greens, garbanzos, tomatoes & green chiles; steamed zucchini with fresh onion & tomato; steamed parsnip, carrot & mushroom; steamed butternut & pumpkin with diced fresh apple
S- apple slices & cashews, part of a Garden of Life bar
D-big salad; steamed butternut & jicama

Good Morning!

Mihani - what is a Panda planner? I have been reading more at night and turning off the computer. Sleeping better.

Magic - I had a Sprouts very close by and they moved. Loved their organic frozen berries. My BIL died of Covid this summer. My SIL is having his memorial funeral at the end of the month in another state and did not invite me. Yes, the same sister who asked me to drop everything and come help her take care of her husband. Did that for 4 months. Same sister who when she got Covid and was very sick..her Internal Dr. did nothing, she went to the ER and they diagnosed her with pneumonia and did nothing...I found her a concierge internal med. Dr. who that day ordered her steroids, O2, home pulse ox, antibiotics for the pneumonia and a few other meds. Same sister. Oddly enough it does not hurt. It says more about her than me.

Shred - we stopped our gym membership and I miss swimming. With Covid on the rise in Texas I am still not willing to go. My husband bought us a Peleton bike this summer before we knew I was sick. Riding it was fun but it made my symptoms worse...now I am ready to start back. I think the last Iron infusion has kicked in! Wish this made me an Iron woman!

Austin - yes, don't neglect those B vitamins! This recent hospitalization was a big wake up call.

Yesterday in cleaning the kitchen pantry I came across a package of frosted Oreo cookies. My first reaction was to devour...then I got mad at hubby. Saboteur! Wait until he comes home. After work he stopped at BB &B and came home with a brand new All Clad soup/pasta pot (he used a coupon). I had this old thin bottom steel pot I make soup and pasta with and easily burns on the bottom. Have had it for 40 years. Complain about it because I have to be so careful even at low temps not to burn food. The difference between him and I: he forgot he bought the cookies several months ago. I have never forgotten or misplaced a package of cookies. They are going to a food bank with all the flour based pasta today.

B - spinach smoothie, bran flakes with blueberries and walnuts
L- black bean & lentil veggie soup
D - Banza pasta with spinach, onion, mushrooms and pine nuts...maybe sun dried tomatos
snack - seed cracker with avocado and black sesame seeds.

E- short walk with dogs, 15 minutes on bike