1 bell pepper

2 large cloves garlic

1 onion

½ jalapeño – seeded

All chopped and sautéed

Add 1 can no-salt fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 can fat free refried beans

1 can black beans with liquid

1 can water

1 can vegetarian broth

1 pack Goya (fake) ham flavor

1 t. cumin

1½ t. smoked paprika

1 t. Mexican chili powder

½ t. oregano

 Add 4 c. packed chopped kale

1 bag frozen gumbo vegetables

1 cup leftover rice

Cook about 20-30 minutes.

Serve with Texas Pete and sprinkle on some crystallized lemon juice (this really makes the flavor pop).

Original recipes found here:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/02/tortilla-soup-with-pinto-beans.html

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/03/smoky-refried-bean-soup.html

 (Just realized, I made a Mexican soup much like this once already and posted it! LOL)

Need your sinuses cleared out or a little jump start to get warm?  A hearty start to any morning.  Start your hot water and add your polenta (yellow grits) per the bag’s directions.  I used 1 cup water and 1/3 cup polenta.  Drain, mash, dry fry with the seasonings of your choice (garlic, onion powder, hot paprika and chili powder, cumin, black pepper and turmeric).  If I hadn’t been in such a hurry, I’d have sautéed some peppers and onions too.

When done, plate some polenta, top with tofu scramble…

…. then top with vegan queso from a jar or homemade.

Enjoy!

Several hours later, several loads of laundry, a trip to Lowes, more switch installation with a pop and a flash for good measure, and my dryer vent reattached I started to get hungry again.

I had in mind a tortilla soup, but I had a bag of gumbo vegetables in the freezer and the dumping began.

1 box Trader Joes no sodium veg. broth (good)

1 can no salt added fire roasted tomatoes

1 can chopped green chilis

part of a bag of leeks, chopped

1 pre-cooked baked potato chopped

1/2 c. roasted corn

3-4 leaves kale, chopped

1/2 a pack of soy chorizo

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 a jalapeno, shopped

1 bag gumbo vegs.

1 Tbs thyme

1 tsp black pepper

1 pack of Goya “fake” ham seasoning

Cook 20-30 min.  Slash in some lemon juice, sprinkle on some chia seeds, crumble some tortilla chips and enjoy!

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!  Can you say Holy new Yumminess discovered?  Ever since I read about warm salads and grilling Romain, I’ve been hooked!  This is my second one today!

OK, I give credit where credit’s due – Thanks Susan Viosin at the FatFreeVegan.com - AGAIN – for writing about warm salads when it just seems too cold to make a traditional one.

I made it even more ridiculously easy by doing it on the stove in a large non-stick fry pan sprayed with just a burst of olive oil PAM.

1 large minced clove garlic

1 heart of Romaine lettuce

Squashed under a flat lid that is smaller than the pan. I set the cast iron skillet on top.

Cut up 1 mango and toss in with some minced ginger – Squash a min. or two more.

Dash with lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, chili powder, cinnamon, a teeny bit of agave, Dijon mustard and toss.

Shake chia seeds on top – Delicious!

While I was soaking my cashews that provide the “cream” in the sour cream and onion flavored sauce, I started a pot of lentil soup. 

These are so easy to make.  Massaging them is half the fun!  Make sure to put them in a single layer.  Look at the shrinkage!  I only baked them 45 mins. instead of the 1-1.5 hours they called for at 250 degrees. 

Healthy and yummy.  They may last for 2 weeks bagged up, but I challenge you to make them last 2 days!  Loaded with vitimin K, vitimin C, calcium, and loads of other goodness.

 The lentil soup has a bag of lentils 8-10 cups water and your favorite veggie boullion, an onion, 4 small potatoes, a handful of baby carrots, 2 cloves garlic, corriander, cumin, Mexican chili powder, bay leaves, and more.  Cook till done (about an hour, more if you like it really soft).  I threw in a bag of baby spinach when it was done, so it just wilted.  More hot sauce on this too!

When I read the fatfreevegan.com’s recipe for Sweet Potato Falafel tonight, dinner was planned!  I had already roasted a spaghetti squash for a different recipe of hers, but this one yelled louder!  I had black sesame seeds instead of plain.

For the sauce, I couldn’t get soy yogurt, so we used soy cream cheese thinned down with some lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cayenne and a little water (left out the ketchup).  Add some tabouli, cucumbers & tomatoes in a wrap and you’re all set.

I love cooking the day after a Trader joe’s run!  Black bean soup yesterday.  Today I used a bag of frozen grilled eggplant and zucchini and added: sausage-less sausage, baby Portobellos, onion, jalapeno and smoked paprika.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqKNfyUPzoU Here’s a good YouTube of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s Heart Attack Proof talk.  Enjoy!

I have a dream that eating plant strong becomes mainstream and doctors finally start prescribing no fat/vegan diets for heart patients.

Want to know more about the I Have A Dream Speech – originally named  “Normalcy, Never Again” and how to BE peace in the world?  Visit my other blog here: http://stirringthespiritwithin.blogspot.com

Winter is not my favorite season – let me just get that out there.  I tend to hole up, do less, snack more.  The holiday’s have come and gone.  I survived with only a 2 lb. gain and am holding. This is good for me considering I had omnivorous family visit and we ate out a lot. 

In winter, my breakfast switches from mostly smoothies to mostly oatmeal. Add a handful of craisens, a Tablespoon or 2 of walnuts chopped, a Tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal, and a splash of vanilla soy milk.  Add a cup of coffee (which I am now “trying” to cut back the caffeine with 1/2 caff. beans),  1 Dr. Fuhrman’s Gentle Formula vitamin (especially for vegans), and a Vit. D capsule (repeated at dinner). 

Lunches typically are a soup I made on Sunday with salad.  I made some incredible yellow split pea soup the other day.  My recipe, like most, came in its original form from Susan Voison’s FatFreeVegan site.  Just search for a recipe you want.  I always end up adapting it to suit my taste or what I have on hand.  I added 1/2 a head of savoy cabbage, a couple of potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, and some jalapeno sauce-of course! If I’m not stuffed, I’ll have a piece of fruit or save it for a snack to eat after the kids get on the buses.

Dinner may be a repeat of my soup from lunch or if I have time, I may throw a BUNCH of vegetables in the oven to roast and have a bowl of fruit on the side.  I’ll admit to a bit of “junk” snacking recently, in the winter months – whole grain chips with fresh avocado, hummus, or light popcorn.  Exercise has fallen to none  (sad face).  I’m trying to motivate myself off the couch during commercials and use my stepper.

If I can maintain my 30 – 2 lb. loss through winter, I’ll be very happy! In less than 3 months I will have a year of eating 99% vegan under my belt, which is 2 sizes smaller! Spring will bring a push to take it down to the next level and whack the next 10 lb. off to bring my weight into a healthy BMI. I am very happy where I am, so we’ll see what happens.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

in hopes that Florida relatives soon would be there. 

Cleaning and scrubbing, and a new roof was put on

after Jude finished teaching and from school had gone.

Christmas Eve was spent shopping - buying groceries for:

the vegans, the dog & the omnivores.

The Grinch may have stole Christmas from the Whos in that show. 

But WE’LL have a great Christmas, though I doubt we’ll have snow.

To All My Virtual Friends and Followers

Have a Blessed Holiday Season if you celebrate and I hope you enjoy family or friends no matter what.

Here’s to embracing the journey 2012 brings and aligning your vibrational energy with the Cosmos for your Highest and Best Life!

*May you stay Plant Strong all year long!

Seriously, does it get much better than this?  What a penance for eating a bit too much last night!  If this is punishment, put me on the naughty list! 

This is all that’s left of a bunch of asparagus, an onion, 2 large stalks of celery, a green pepper, 3 cloves of garlic, 3 small-med. size potatoes, 1 small eggplant, 10 or so baby carrots & a box of baby Portobello mushrooms–chopped and sprinkled with some smoked paprika, oregano, a bit of peppered vinegar and some lime juice.  Baked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes–tossed every 15 min.

One dinner for me with a bowl left for lunch tomorrow!