Creamy Tortellini Casserole

This recipe was requested by a few people, so here it is. You could easily add chicken, or use chicken & cheese tortellini if you don't want to make it vegetarian! It was super easy, and even more super yummy. So, enjoy! This recipe is not my own!

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package (8 oz.) sliced fresh mushrooms (3 cups)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
3/4 cup frozen sweet peas thawed
1 package (9 oz.) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1/2 cup finely crushed buttery crackers

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and mushrooms. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender

Stir in flour and salt. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, peas, and tortellini. Spoon into casserole. Sprinkle with crackers.

Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until edge begins to bubble.

What is coming in the New Year

At the beginning of the year my blog will once again change formats. I started with a traditional blog where I shared my thoughts and things around my world. I felt that a public forum may not be the best place to share all my opinions, so I changed my blog as a journey through my experiment with becoming a vegetarian. Since that isn't much of a journey anymore, I am once again changing the format of my blog.

Starting January 1st I will be attempting something called Project 365. What I will be doing is taking a picture every day of the year as a photo journal. I am hoping I will improve in photography through this process. I am also hoping by advertising my intent I will be help accountable to finish my year-long commitment. Anyway, this blog will be where I will share my photo journal that I will be taking throughout the year. I don't intend to update it every day, but hopefully once a week!? :o)

Anyway, as I embark on this journey I would welcome any comments, both good and bad, on my photography. I am not expecting to get a stellar photo for each day, but I am sure as I practice more I will be able to view the world that I live in more creatively. Stay tuned in the new year as I take on this exciting project!

Also, once I start this I will stop my live feed to Facebook, so if that is how you follow this blog, you may want to subscribe to follow me via blogger!

Spinach Lasagna

I have been a little busy and haven't been dabbling in new recipes a whole lot lately. While my mom was here to help us after Elin was born, we adapted this recipe and froze it for after she left. I loved it so much that I wanted to share my adaptation with my followers! It was very delicious and very easy to make!

Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 eggs
1 pint ricotta cheese
fresh spinach
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
12 lasagna noodles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease one 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Cook noodles according to package.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Combine them with the ricotta cheese. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, and oregano to taste. Mix in the Parmesan cheese.

Spread a small amount of spaghetti sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Place 4 noodles over the sauce, spread half the ricotta mixture, top generously with fresh spinach, top with 1/2 the sliced mozzarella cheese, and drizzle spaghetti sauce over top. Repeat layers, using remaining ingredients (save some spaghetti sauce for the top). Top with remaining noodles, spaghetti sauce, and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Cover dish securely with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Pesto Broccoli Pockets

Ok, this is a completely original Leigh Anne creation. I was walking through the grocery store inventing this one as I went. It turned out really good, and the whole family enjoys it! You could probably add chicken to it to make it non-vegetarian if you desired! My measurements are all pretty vague, because I don't measure much anymore. So, good luck! :o)

1 roll Pillsbury Pizza Crust
Frozen Broccoli pieces (cooked)
Ricotta Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Pesto
1 Recipe White Sauce (following recipe) OR bottled alfredo sauce

Roll out the pizza dough. Cut into four equal pieces. (Ok, to be honest, I cut into three pieces and make them a little larger, so whatever you desire or works for your family is fine!) Start with one piece of dough. Brush each side of dough with olive oil. Place on baking sheet. On half of the piece of dough layer ricotta cheese, a spoonful of pesto, and some cooked broccoli. Drizzle with desired amount of white sauce and top with shredded cheese. Make sure to leave room on the sides. Fold the other half of the dough over your layers and pinch the sides closed. Stab a few holes in the top of the dough. Continue with the rest of the pieces of dough.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes. Eat and enjoy!

White Sauce: (Not my own creation!)

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk (I use skim and it works great!)
1/2 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour and milk. Continue stirring until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. I also add garlic, oregano, and italian seasoning to this sauce to give it more taste! Add in the seasonings after you add the milk if you desire to add them!

Pasta in Tomato & Basil Sauce

Ok, so tonight's dinner ended up being a success with the entire family. Long story short, I swore I had a recipe that I was going to tweak for this, and when it was time for me to prepare dinner I couldn't find the recipe anywhere. I had never made this before, so I went in completely on my own. I'm sure this isn't completely an original recipe, but I did not follow anything, so some measurements may be a little vague! Hope someone out there tries it and enjoys!

2 cans tomato soup
Fresh Basil (I used a small package of the organic basil, and used the whole thing) chopped
1 Green Pepper chopped
1/2 small onion chopped
Fresh spinach chopped
Garlic & Italian Seasoning to taste
1 pound pasta of your choice
Parmesean Cheese

Optional: Add some ground beef or cooked sausage (I did not do this, but I'm sure it would be good!)

Cook pasta according to directions on the package

In small saucepan combine two cans tomato soup and enough liquid to get to the desired consistency. (I used about 1/2 can water and 1/2 can vegetable broth) Add the rest of the veggies and herbs. You could add more or less depending on your desires. Stir frequently as sauce heats up, about 10 minutes.

Add sauce to the pasta. Sprinkle with parmesean cheese.

Makes 6 servings

Trying to Raise Healthy Eaters!

I am wrestling with something, and right now I welcome a friendly discussion on the matter of kids eating healthfully.

For the most part, Jason and I are healthy eaters. Since Kaelyn was a baby I was pretty set on the fact that I was going to raise my child (and future children) to eat healthy foods. This is not to say that I NEVER feed them "junk." I will occasionally cook up a "blue box" (Kraft Macaroni N' Cheese) for lunch. I will occasionally feed them chicken rings out of the freezer. But, these times are always balanced with ham and cheese sandwiches (with nothing else on them like butter or mayo), and other healthful options. Usually my kids eat what we eat for dinner, but sometimes if I know they won't like it (as in it would be too spicy) I will prepare one of the above. Since becoming vegetarian I have gotten the question quite often, "Are your kids vegetarian too?" The answer is, no, they are not, but for the most part they end up eating what I prepare for dinner. Breakfast always includes fresh fruit. Lunch always includes raw carrots, and sometimes more fresh fruit. Dinner almost always has some sort of vegetable with it. My kids never drink juice (ok, MAYBE at a birthday party) or chocolate milk, always white milk, and candy is given out very rarely.

So, where does the friendly discussion come in. Here it is. How much is too much? Today Kaelyn has seemed almost obsessed with healthful eating. It seems like too much for a 4-year-old to worry about. Sometimes we will have discussions with her about why we don't eat candy all that often, but it seems she has taken these discussions a bit too far. Today she informed me that she hates McDonalds, because it makes you sick. (We had a discussion about how certain foods if you eat them all the time can make you sick, and she has linked this to McDonalds.) She used to LOVE the rare occasion that we would go to McDonalds after getting shots or on her birthday. She is always asking if there is meat in things. And she is very concerned about getting sick.

How do we teach our kids to eat healthfully in moderation (again, I am ok with the rare treat of McDonalds, or other indulgences)? I feel so bad that as a 4-year-old she is so concerned about what is going to make her sick and what is going to make her big and strong.

I am proud of my kids and their eating habits. Quite often Jason and I will get stopped in restaurants by total strangers who are impressed at how well our kids eat and the things they eat. I would like to think this is because we have modeled good eating, as well as provided healthful options, as opposed to junk. And we have had our battles with our kids, but they know if they refuse to eat something they will not get another tastier option later. They know if they refuse dinner, it will show up again when they come to us saying they are hungry. I'm not saying I have it all figured out, obviously, since my daughter seems crazy obsessed with this area right now. I'm just trying to figure out where the moderation point is and how much is too much.

Also, I am not attacking parents who don't choose to be as strict with eating as we are. Please don't hear that from me. Every parent chooses what works best within their system, and for us this is what works best, mainly because we prefer healthful eating. So, please don't see this as an attack on someone else's parenting!!!

Easy Mushroom Pizza Pie

Ok, another yummy meal that you could be creative and make non-vegetarian if you desire by adding some of your favorite pizza toppings! Hope you enjoy! The whole family loved it!

1 can (4 oz.) mushroom pieces and stems, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (4 to 6 oz.)

1) Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 10-inch pie plate with shortening (again I used Olive Oil). Sprinkle mushrooms, 2/3 cup of the onion, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in pie plate.

2) In blender or bowl with wire whisk or hand beater, beat milk, eggs, and Bisquick mix 15 seconds on high speed or 1 minute with whisk until smooth. Poor over vegetable mixture.

3) Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Spread pizza sauce over top. Top with remaining ingredients. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until cheese is light brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting!

Enjoy! This is another easy meal that everyone in the family can enjoy!

Stacked Enchilada Bake

So, before I give you guys this new awesome recipe, I just have to give one small vegetarian update that has really impressed me that I didn't realize until I went to my last OB/GYN appointment. Don't worry, this won't be too much information or anything. But, one of the major symptoms that I have dealt with in my past pregnancies has been HORRIBLE heart burn. Anyway, at my appointment, my doctor had asked me how the heartburn was, and I realized I have not even had a trace of heartburn this pregnancy! I would like to think this is linked to the vegetarian diet!

Ok, on to the good stuff. This was too good and too easy not to pass along. Once again, you could make this vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

12 corn tortillas (5 or 6 inch), torn into bite-size pieces
2 cans (15 to 16 oz. each) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 can 10 oz. enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz.) Actually, I used Cheddar, and it was wonderful!
3 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

If you are making this non-vegetarian, I would recommend only one can of the beans and mix it with some browned ground beef.

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2-quart casserole with shortening (I used olive oil). Arrange half of the tortilla pieces in casserole. Top with 1 can beans (or half bean/meat mixture). Repeat layers. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Sprinkle with cheese and onions.

2) Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until bubbly around edge.

That's it, and it is really yummy!

One More Reason to Love In-N-Out!

So, I said I wouldn't be blogging anymore about my vegetarian journey, but this was just too good not to blog about! This would all have not been possible without a PBS special... I know, kind of lame, but its true.

This past Friday night Jason and I got home from a Good Friday service, and I had been working all day at cleaning, getting ready for Brendan's birthday party, and if I needed to add one more thing to the list I had decided to finally switch out our snowman sheets for normal ones on the bed. (I couldn't bring myself to celebrate Easter and still have snowmen on the bed, which most Southern Californians would already say that my snowmen have overstayed their welcome, but it is the last trace of me still being a Midwesterner since people laugh at me for keeping snowmen up past Christmas around here.) Whew, that was a digression... So, we get home from church, and I had put our pillows in the washer for while we were gone. Well, for those of you who have washed pillows, they take forever to dry! And with us being as tired as we were, I should not have taken on this project, but I was this far into it, so I was stuck. Basically we were keeping ourselves awake until 11:00 until the pillows were dry! And being as tired as we were, we resorted to PBS... the only thing we could find on television that was somewhat interesting.

Out here on PBS we have this show called California's Gold with Huell Howser. If you have never had the privilege of seeing this show, I am convinced that Huell only has a job because he knows someone, because he can be a bit over-dramatic and state the obvious waaaay too many times! But we were intrigued because it was all about In-N-Out Burger! We learned a lot about the history of In-N-Out, which was started right here in the San Gabriel Valley, and we actually have store #2 right near our house! Whoo hoo! But, one other thing we learned was the things that you can get that are not on the menu. In-N-Out's menu is very simple... They have a burger, a cheeseburger, fries, and various drinks, and that's it. No chicken, no salads, nothing special. But, apparently through the years by word of mouth there are things you can get. Today I tried the "Grilled Cheese" which is a VEGETARIAN OPTION at In-N-Out Burger! Basically you get all the In-N-Out yummyness without the burger patty. I just have to say that it was amazing!!! I seriously didn't even miss the burger patty on it! I still got the awesome sponge-dough bun, the fresh veggies, and even the sauce, with melted cheese! Who knew! I would never have known without Huell!!!

The reason I had gone to In-N-Out today is because today was Brendan's birthday. Jason and I always make it a point to take the Birthday kid out for lunch, and it is usually McDonald's, since that is such a rare treat in our house. But, today I was thinking about going to McDonald's and realized that I would have to go somewhere else to pick up my lunch, since McDonald's has NOTHING vegetarian on their menu, unless I was to piece together a bunch of "snack options." So, Brendan still got a "burbur" (what he calls burger), and I didn't have to make a bunch of different stops! Yay In-N-Out burger!

Fast, Easy, Healthy... Can be vegetarian or not!!!

4 days left of my vegetarian challenge. I have decided that I am continuing on as a vegetarian come Easter morning, however. I absolutely love this new lifestyle. I feel better (although my allergies over the last 5 weeks have helped to counteract how good my body feels...), I feel healthier (At my 19 week pregnancy check-up I had only gained three pounds... Go me!!!), and I feel good about the choices I have made to not consume meat. So, from this point on I don't think I am going to be blogging much more about my journey as a vegetarian. I may blog once in a while about it. We will see what will come of my blog from here.

However, today I have a new recipe to share. Again, have not tried it. It is in the oven right now. But seriously, this is the easiest meal I have prepared this entire time I have been a vegetarian. It is low fat, and you can easily add chicken to it if you are not a veggie! My vegetable of choice for the last month has tended to be broccoli, so hope you like broccoli.

Broccoli-Rice Bake

1 1/2 pound broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces (a bag and a half of frozen chopped broccoli works great, and makes this even easier!!!)
2 cups uncooked instant brown rice
1 can (14 oz.) vegetable broth
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of broccoli soup
1 jar (2 oz.) diced pimentos, drained
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine
1/2 cup original Bisquick mix

1) Heat oven to 425 degrees F. In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1 inch water to boiling. Add broccoli, return to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. (Or if using frozen broccoli, cook according to package!)

2) In ungreased 2-quart casserole, mix broccoli, rice, broth, soup, pimientos, and pepper.

3) Cover; bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, cut butter into Bisquick mix until crumbly.

4) Sprinkle crumbly mixture over broccoli mixture; bake uncovered 8 to 10 minutes longer or until top is light brown.

Ok, now time for the fun... I wanted to try adding cheddar cheese to this. Unfortunately, I used up all my cheddar cheese in a failed attempt to make broccoli cheese sauce for baked potatoes last night. But, I'm sure it would be super tasty in this meal! Also, as I mentioned you can add chicken. You can add 1 cup cubed cooked chicken with the broccoli and other ingredients in step 2.

Crunchy Oven Fried Tilapia

Alright, here's another recipe for you. Again, this is on the menu tonight, but I have made it once before, so I know it is good. For the longest time I was scared to death to prepare fish for a meal. I am not a big fish eater, but I knew it was good for me and needed to start eating it once in a while. After Kaelyn was born, and again after Brendan was born I had participated in this thing called Dream Dinners where you go to this place and put together a bunch of meals in bags, come home, freeze them, then thaw them out as you need. This was when I first got the confidence to try fish since someone else had basically given it to me, and I had to take it home and cook it. And my favorites were the tilapia dishes. Again, I am not big on fish. I can't stand the fishy taste, and I can't stand the thought that this thing was once a slimy creature in the ocean. But, because it is good for me, I will eat it. Tilapia really is one of the most mild fishes I have ever tried. So, if you are like me and are either scared, or don't usually like fish, this may be a good recipe to try since it uses a mild fish and adds bread crumbs to it.

For dinner tonight I am also serving couscous and mixed veggies. If you have never tried couscous, it is one of the easiest things to add to a meal. Add 1 part couscous, 2 parts liquid (I usually do half the liquid as broth, chicken, or now I use vegetable broth). Boil the liquid. Add couscous and cook for 5 minutes with the lid on. After five minutes, remove the lid stir, and voila, side dish. I usually sprinkle some olive oil in there too...

Ok, on to the recipe...

1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper (to taste)
2 egg whites
tilapia fillets
1 cup dried bread crumbs (sometimes called panko bread crumbs)
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

In one bowl combine flour, salt, and pepper. In another bowl lightly beat the egg whites with a fork, and in another bowl combine bread crumbs, corn meal, basil, and garlic. Dip a tilapia fillet in the egg bowl, then in the flour bowl, back in the egg bowl, then lastly in the bread crumb bowl, coating thoroughly. Do this with each fillet. Put the fillets in a 9 x 13 glass dish sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle some olive oil over the fillets. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes.

Makes 4 fillets

Easy recipe, healthy, yummy! Enjoy!!!

Lasagna Primavera

So, I thought it would be fun to start posting some of the recipes I have been trying. I won't overload you guys with recipes, so I'll start with the one we are having for dinner tonight. I have yet to taste it, but it looks and smells so good that there is no way it can't be good! It is currently in the oven and smells awesome! So, if you are looking for a (somewhat) healthy recipe, here might be a good place to start. The nice thing, for me, about vegetarian cooking is you can add more cheese and butter since you are not using calories with meat! I will trade meat for cheese and butter any day! :o)

Ok, here goes. Let me know if you try it and what you think. I am by no way claiming this recipe as my own, but I always tweak my recipes from what is originally written. Still, does not make it my own, so I am not taking credit for it! It's just always fun to share and try new recipes.

12 uncooked lasagna noodles
3 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed, well drained. (I bought the broccoli pieces, since it later asks you to cut them into bite sized pieces)
3 large carrots, coarsely shredded (2 cups). (I did not do this... I used baby carrots and just sliced a bunch of them up into bite sized pieces. Unless you just buy shredded carrots, which would work well too!)
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, well drained (I bought the garlic, oregano, and basil seasoned tomatoes, because you can never have too much garlic, oregano, and basil in ANYTHING!)
2 medium bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 containers (10 oz. each) refrigerated Alfredo sauce. (I made my own... I'll include this recipe at the end, but it is MUCH easier to just buy it already made. Making your own you can cut a lot of fat and calories out and still get a good sauce, though!)
1 bag (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese (4 cups) (You can cut down on the cheese if you want to save on some fat and calories as well!)

1) Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.

2) Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets into bite-size pieces if necessary. In large bowl, mix broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, and bell peppers. In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg.

3) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In 13 x 9-inch (3 quart) glass baking dish, spoon 2/3 cup of the Alfredo sauce. Place 4 noodles over sauce. Spread with half of cheese mixture and 2 1/2 cups of vegetable mixture; randomly spoon 2/3 cup remaining sauce in dollops over noodles. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with 4 noodles. Spread with remaining cheese mixture and 2 1/2 cups vegetable mixture; randomly spoon 2/3 cup sauce in dollops over vegetables. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining 4 noodles and vegetable mixture; randomly spoon remaining sauce in dollops over top. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.

4) Bake uncovered 45 to 60 minutes or until bubbly and hot in center. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Makes 8 servings

Ok, here is the Alfredo Sauce recipe. Very easy, and very versatile, even if you want to pair it with other pasta dishes! If you are using it for the lasagna recipe, you have to TRIPLE the recipe!

2 tbsp. butter, margarine, or vegetable oil
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup milk or soy milk (skim milk works great if you want to eliminate some fat and calories... I have yet to try this with soy milk, personally!)
salt and pepper to taste
Dried (or fresh) Garlic, basil, and parsley to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheese (any kind you like) I have used both Monterey Jack cheese and Mozzarella, depending on what I have on hand!

Melt the butter (or margarine or oil) in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, and cook, stirring or just a minute or two. Now slowly add the milk, stirring constantly to eliminate any lumps. Add seasonings as desired. (I never measure, so I can't tell you how much of each I add... sorry!) Cook, continuing to stir, until the sauce thickens and begins to simmer. Keep cooking the sauce after it reaches a simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly so that it doesn't scorch and stick to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in shredded cheese until smooth and melted.

Makes 1 cup

Enjoy, my friends! :o)

The Vegetarian and the Steakhouse!

Ok, I passed a major vegetarian test this week. On Saturday we got together with Jason's family and went out to Ruth's Chris steakhouse for dinner. I want to start off by saying that Jason's family was very gracious and did call me to see if we wanted to choose another restaurant in light of my decision to give up meat for lent. I told them I would be fine going to Ruth's Chris, and it sounded like a really fun experience. I had checked out the menu and knew that there were plenty of options for me. So, it is not as if I was tortured and dragged to a steakhouse! :o)

Anyway, I must say, one of the best meals I have ever eaten at a restaurant. And I did not even desire the steak. (This proves to me that I should just go ahead and declare myself a vegetarian from here on out...) I ordered a buffalo mozzarella and vine ripened tomato salad, and the "potato and veggie plate" in which I got to choose any three side items on the menu. I chose a baked potato, creamed spinach, and broccoli au gratin. And I was not bummed by any of those choices.

It is ironic, because I had written in the past that the thing I am loving most about being a vegetarian is the lack of options that I have; therefore, making it easier to choose and ultimately not dealing with the "buyers remorse" of wishing I had ordered something different. The thing that is ironic about my experience at Ruth's Chris, is I think I took just as long choosing as everyone else did... And I did walk away kind of wishing I had ordered the salmon after all. (I had a bite of Jason's, and it was by far the best piece of fish I have ever put in my mouth!) So, even a vegetarian has options at a steakhouse! :o)

So far on my journey, my body has never felt better with this new diet. I am never bloated and gassy. (Ok, tmi...) I am never uncomfortably stuffed, even if I eat a little too much. And I feel like I have a lot more energy. I am also proud to say that at 19 weeks pregnant I have only gained 3 pounds!!! I feel amazing, and I can't imagine going back to meat right now. It doesn't even sound good to me. So, with a little less than three weeks to go of my vegetarian challenge, I am glad that I have taken it, and may continue!

The Dream...

I knew it would happen sooner or later, and it happened last night. I had a dream that I was eating meat, then all the sudden realized that I was a vegetarian. Sounds silly, but this happens to me every time I cut something out of my diet. For example, I have had it where I was going for a glucose test in the morning and I dreamt I ate a great big piece of cake only to realize (when the cake was half gone) that I had messed up all my hard work. Why does my brain do this to me? And why do I still feel so guilty when I wake up as if I really had eaten the "forbidden food"?

I have been really sick all week. Being sick has been tough, but it hasn't hurt my vegetarian diet at all. In fact, I haven't been eating much, and couldn't taste much food, so I wasn't missing out on much! The only bummer that I have discovered is almost all canned soups are off limits, as most of them are made with some form of chicken broth. It is rare to find one that isn't. I even found a Campbell's one that had tons of veggies and tomato soup, but there down at the end of the ingredient list... chicken broth. WHY!?!?!? Canned soups used to be a staple for me when I got sick, now I need to find the ones without chicken broth and stock up, I suppose!

Last night I actually had a lot of fun preparing dinner! Since being sick all week, dinners have consisted of things that can be heated up in the microwave, Boca Burgers, and Subway! So, last night was my first night to get back in the kitchen and prepare a dinner all week. I have found (and maybe this is still the newness of it all) that cooking vegetarian is a lot more fun! Last night I started with what I thought was going to be basic cheese ravioli. I had the pasta, and the Prego Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Sauce (no chicken broth, which again, hard to find!!!), and I was just going to throw it together with some warm bread and voila... dinner. (Not my usual style, but again, I've been sick!) Anyway, as I went to the kitchen I thought, "Hm... I have all the stuff to make a basic white sauce." So, I threw the things in the pot for the white sauce. Then I started adding... I added basil, garlic, and Monterey Jack Cheese... Then, I started cutting up spinach, steamed that, and added that as well! Turned out pretty good if I do say so myself! I have found that I can be more creative in the kitchen than I used to give myself credit for, and now being vegetarian I am having a lot of fun creating more new and exciting dishes!

Tonight as a family we get to go out to Souplantation! So excited! This is our usual Friday night hangout. Gives me a night off of preparing meals, the kids love it, and it is a healthy meal. I am so glad that the vegetarian diet has not forced me to change our usual night of going out. I just, again, have to stay away from those soups with the dreaded chicken broth. But, Souplantation is really good at labeling which soups have chicken broth and which ones do not! And the only difference to my meal is I now add beans to my salad!

I'll Take a Big Mac; Hold the Mac Please!

Ok, almost two weeks into this vegetarian thing, and I really think I am going to make it a permanent lifestyle. I still have yet to miss eating meat. I don't have any cravings for meat; in fact, the other day I had a craving for beans! Whoo hoo! So, my body has shifted, and I think I'm going to leave it this way! I still have another month of lent, so I am not making an official decision yet, but as of now, my thoughts are that I am going to be a permanent vegetarian!

Jason and I had a date night on Saturday night, and once again, I very much enjoyed going out to eat as a vegetarian. We went to BJ's. We split an appetizer of avocado eggrolls (my FAVORITE appetizer, even before going veggie!), a small vegetable pizza, and a pizzookie! And I wasn't as STUFFED as I normally am after leaving a restaurant. I felt very satisfied, and remained satisfied all night! Granted, I am eating for two! ;o)

So, today Kaelyn went to the doctor for her annual check-up, and is custom in our house whenever shots get administered the family gets to go to McDonald's for lunch, which in our house is a big treat, seeing as how we go maybe once every other month! So, my order... no joke... Big Mac value meal with no patties. I have been sick lately and just needed comfort food. Not sure I will order this again the next time I go to McDonald's. It wasn't bad, but I forgot that a Big Mac becomes cold when there is no meat in it!

So, the journey continues...

Still Lovin' It!

So, it has been over a week since I have officially switched to being a vegetarian, and I still love this new lifestyle!!! At first I had been nervous because we had a house guest last week, so I wasn't going to officially start until after she left, but that wasn't an issue for me at all, especially since I am not making the kids go vegetarian. So, I had ham in the house for her to have ham sandwiches for lunch. Otherwise she was pretty flexible with our new way of eating. I was even surprised that when I had taken her to subway she ordered a Veggie Delight, so I knew she wasn't totally sick of not eating meat! :o)

So far things are still going great. My body is feeling great, and I am loving the new foods I get to prepare. Tonight I am going to start experimenting with beans. Our grocery store has a bulk section where you can buy tons of different beans, rices, and grains, in as small or as large of quantities as you would like, so that has made it really fun and easy as well! On the menu tonight is Hawaiian Salmon burgers (I AM still eating fish!), with coconut rice and red beans. We'll see how it goes! :o)

Other things I have become addicted to include: tomato, basil, and mozzarella sandwiches on Ciabatta bread with balsamic vinagrette, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, and cottage cheese mixed with crushed pineapple. Yum, yum, yum!!! This whole vegetarian thing really is easier than I thought! :o)

Thanks for following me on this journey!!!

I passed my first "test"!

Tonight we decided to take a drive down to Seal Beach and eat at Ruby's out on the pier. For those of you not in Southern California, Ruby's is a 50's style diner that mainly serves hamburgers of all different varieties. And I have to say, a hamburger did not even look tempting to me! I ordered the Vegwich, and was actually very happy with how much I enjoyed it!

This may sound strange, but one of the things I have been looking forward to about going vegetarian is that I don't have sooooo many options staring me in the face. Jason had read a book that had concluded that more choices actually make us more dissatisfied with what we end up choosing in the end. More choices lead to more buyers remorse, or fear that we have not chosen the best option. I am really excited that my options are now very limited for eating when I go out to eat. And tonight I was very satisfied by my limited options.

I left feeling satisfied, but not overly full as I know a burger and fries would have made me. And I don't have the regret that I used to have after eating a burger when I would feel so stuffed afterward.

So far I am surprised at how satisfying this vegetarian lifestyle is for me. I had a friend that told me it wasn't so hard, and I am starting to believe him! I am still feeling more energy, although there has been some major processing of life that has been weighing on me the last few days. But, overall I am really happy with how my body feels. And dare I say my pants are fitting better, which I shouldn't be able to say in pregnancy. Don't worry, I'm still getting the necessary calories, but I really think my metabolism is kicking it up a notch. No, I am not TRYING to lose weight while being pregnant, but so far I'm really happy with the results!

So Far Really Good!!!

So, it is 5:45 AM, and here I am at the computer. This happened yesterday morning as well. And both mornings I woke up completely on my own. This is just short of a miracle! My entire pregnancy I have been sleeping in until 7:45ish, waking up right about the time Jason is leaving for work. And I've been taking a few naps a week. But, remarkably, since becoming vegetarian (this kind of unofficially started on Saturday...) and finding protein in other sources I am not as tired anymore! I know, it has only just begun. We'll see if I am still up at 5:45 in a month!

I am really amazed at all the foods that are high in protein. Yesterday I was pretty sure I had all my daily recommended protein in by lunch time. And I wasn't as hungry or wanting to snack either.

Thanks for staying with me on this journey! I will continue to update as time goes on!

My Attempt at Vegetarianism!

Hello again trusty blog. It has been a while since I have blogged! Honestly, it feels as if life has been stagnant and I have not been having any new revelations to blog about. But, I now have one, and it is a good reason to resurrect the dusty ole' blog! For lent I have decided to give vegetarianism a try; from there we will see if this becomes a permanent life choice.

This was not a decision that I made overnight. This was something that I had always wanted to do but never thought I could. As I have slowly cut meat out of my regular diet I finally feel like I am at a place to do this. I had never prepared much pork, as Jason doesn't like pork, so that was pretty much out of my diet. Over the last year I had given up red meat (except for the rare occasion when it sounded good to me, which didn't happen often). So, all that is left is chicken. I am by no means trying to make anyone feel guilty about eating meat, nor am I trying to persuade anyone to become a vegetarian with me. This blog is simply my journey of giving a new diet a try. (One that I am VERY excited about!)

The decision to do this became final when I had my last doctor's appointment this past Friday. I had been concerned about switching to a vegetarian diet in the middle of my pregnancy. My doctor assured me that as long as I get the recommended protein in a day there is nothing wrong with this. (Which made me realize I hadn't been getting the recommended amount of protein on a normal basis, so already this has caused me to reevaluate what I am eating.)

I plan on posting my progress on my blog, so stay tuned and see if I can successfully become a vegetarian!!!