Tomato Soup sans msg or milk

I have been on the look out for tomato soup at the store that doesn't have MSG or made with milk. Its hard to find! So I made my own alternative...
Using tomato paste as a base, you can make just about any soup you want!
I tried a plain Tomato Basil last week. After simmering for a while I pureed the diced tomatoes I had added, then returned it back to the pot. It was nice, but I wanted something with a little more substance.
This week using the tomato paste as a base again I made
Vegetable Garden Tomato soup.
tomato paste
(hint- you don't need very much of it, I used one 14 oz can for both recipes)
left over brown rice
kale
spiral gluten free noodles
carrots
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 tbls brown sugar
garlic
5 cups of water

Cooking the noodles in the broth gives this soup a nice 'creamy' texture that I was missing from the plain tomato basil recipe. The kale holds up when cooked and doesn't get too mushy, and adds a nice touch of green color.
I served my self some topped with shredded rice cheese and fried polenta today for a mid morning snack. Delicious!

Ice cream, salads and more...

There are certain foods I am definitely addicted to now!

Rice Dream Organic (non-dairy frozen) Mango coconut is to die for!
And I cant seem to put the Cocoa Marble fudge down till its too late...
For being a rice milk product they are surprisingly creamy and flavorful.
It uses agave as a sweetener, which is so much healthier for you.

I make a salad every day! not just any salad...
Field Greens
Baby Spinach
strawberries or raisins
avocado (a must!)
tomatoes (mostly Roma's)
radishes (not always)
bean sprouts ( Mike likes those better than I...)
chick peas
black olives
I actually crave these salads now, and feel so good after eating!
Sometimes that is my meal!
I top them off with olive oil, red wine vinegar sprinkled, coarse sea salt and finely ground pepper.
A special thanks to my mil who gave me the idea for the salad dressing.
Also to Betsy for the avocado and Roma tomato.

Gluten free- Vegan Cornbread made with banana is a recipe I stumbled on.
My brother got me a great gf cookbook a couple years ago and I noticed it also has a 'V' by some of the recipes. The cornbread actually calls for 1 egg but I substituted a banana instead and it is so moist and stays moist! It doesn't dry out like most gf baked goods. I make it in a round 8x8 pan and it reminds me of johnny cake! This morning I took a section and split it in half making it thin enough to toast. After buttering ( yes I use butter..shh) I used peanut butter to bring out the flavor companion of banana. I enjoyed every bite, as it was my last piece... Time to make more! I don't always have a ripe banana on hand as an egg substitute with my vegan recipes, so Ive learned to put them in the freezer when they have gone ripe. Pulling one out as needed.

I remain mostly vegan with a few exceptions... I feel better when I leave out the dairy and meat. go figure!

My Vegan journey #2

It has been 1 week and 3 days since I went dairy and meat free. I am surviving!! Actually, I'm doing better than that. I feel great! An unexpected side effect is the energy I have.
For example- this Sat. I was up with the baby at night, nursing her a few times. Then I got up early with the kids, around 6:30 or so. Bre had her princess party that day, so I had 5 young girls here with much activity for several hours. (My friend Lauren who is one of the moms stayed to help- I must confess.) After the party I finally sat down around 3 to eat lunch! Noticed I still had energy, and I was surprised. Did my weekly grocery shopping that afternoon and rushed to get home. The boys were in their Christmas play that night too! I seriously felt like the Energizer bunny! You may be thinking sure... She must have downing the Red Bull! All I had to drink was a cup or two of tea and lemonade.
I have cheated a time or two- I must admit... sneaking a nibble of meat here or there... naughty.
(but I really mean nibble!)
You may be asking- what are you eating? cardboard?
Today I made collard greens with quinoa (which is a whole grain that is a complete protein).
That was a new recipe for me and was real good! I also made gluten free, vegan cornbread to go with it. Delicious! I substituted a banana for the eggs. Like a banana cornbread, it was good. Easy too!
Another nice meal was the gf pizza I made with rice cheese. Erik tasted it and said you couldn't even tell it was gluten and dairy free! You can tell, but I was happy with it, and he was just being nice.
I used alot of corn tortillas this week, as they are very versatile. Rolled up with Pb and J, re fried beans, or quinoa and salsa. (fyi- corn tortillas work better when slightly warmed.)
I also use quinoa frequently. Piling veggies on it for a meal.
On Sunday we like to get Chinese on the way home from church (when our budget allows) and that meal worked out nice too. Broccoli with garlic sauce, white rice, and sweet and sour soup (picked out the 'pork'). It lasted 3 meals for me!
For snacks I've had tortilla chips, black bean dip (which can also be used in a meal), popcorn, and rice cakes(which my 3 youngest have eating more than I!)
I am finding I eat less and get full with smaller portions. Its hard to tell, but I feel slightly thinner, in my 'core'. And the scale tells me I lost 1-2 lbs.
I am hoping that at 'my time of the month', I will have less pain. But If I dont, I still think this may be a lifestyle change for me...
Not bad for my first week- I am pleased with myself.

the Beginnings of My Vegan Journey

Due to my suspected Endometriosis (which is soon to be confirmed by my OBGYN) I am on a journey to become dairy, meat and gluten free! I have done some research on Endo sites and it seems there are 3 options... Hormone therapy- No Thanks! A partial or full hysterectomy- No Way! OR the healthy option of eating well, having positive thoughts about my situation, and exercise/ yoga. Oh- did I mention that the hormones in pregnancy help as well? They mask the symptoms. Which Is one reason why I haven't discovered this till now! I'm either pregnant or nursing exclusively long enough that I don't have a menses till the baby is about 11 mo!! The pain in my menses on day 2 or even 1 week prior has gotten so bad, that I am literally lying on my side, fetal position, and breathing to alleviate the sharp-stabbing pain. I wont go into the details of where the pain exactly is because the main purpose of this post is to share my vegan status. So I will get on with it!
I think I might be able to do this change. I love green leafy veggies and I already was gluten free and mostly dairy free anyway.
Tonight for dinner while everyone else was eating tacos with organic beefalo- I was cooking up red quinoa to serve on soft corn tortillas I got on sale this week! I used salsa and a little Italian dressing in place of sour cream or cheese. They actually were quite good! And I almost had a third! For my lunch today I whipped up some potato kale soup. It was simmering while I made sandwiches for my crew. They were asking what is cooking that smells so good? But decided not to try it once they saw the green leafy kale in it. Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day! I froze some of this healthy soup and kept some for leftovers. (kale was on sale this week as well...)
Last night the family had pork tenderloin with rice and salad. So what did I eat? You guessed it- rice and field greens! I was perfectly happy too! Pain is a powerful motivator! Yesterday for lunch I had leftover roasted squash soup that I had in the freezer and thawed out. fyi- it freezes well! That soup was made with vanilla Almond milk, squash, nutmeg, and cinnamon. It warms you all the way to your toes! Such a comfort food and easy to make. At least I think it is.
For breakfast Ive been eating rice or corn chex with the vanilla almond milk or Van's gluten free waffles. Snacks are easy too- I love popcorn! Then there's my usual gf items...tortilla chips, dairy free rice milk, kettle chips, etc...
I'm hoping Ill lose weight- so we'll see! Thanks for listening to my ramblings about being vegan!

Bakery on Main

I have been using this brand of Granola -"Bakery on Main" and I wanted to share with you how good it is!!! Ive tried "Bear Naked" and other brands, but this brand is by far the best! It is loaded with fruit, large nuts, and tasty flavors! My favorite is the Maple Nut w/ fruit.
I subscribe to their newsletter and encourage you to join the Bakery club. You will receive a coupon in the newsletter for $1 off. I was able to print mine several times.

'Decisions, Decisions'...My Eclipse Review

This post is dedicated to my sister Betsy, who is in missions in France, and wants desperately to see Eclipse. My Friend Kristi, another Twimom, who has helped fuel my obsession and makes me feel OK about it! And last, my friend Heidi, who nagged me all last summer to read Twilight and went with me on 'Girls night out' to see Eclipse!

First of all-

Wow! David Slade did an awesome job! I didn't think I would care for his style of directing, but he managed to capture the essence of Eclipse.

What I noticed the most was how Jackson Rathbone's performance was much improved! He actually had lines and nailed his role as Jasper. His relationship with Alice is adorable in this one! I loved their playfulness as he was 'teaching' her how to fight. I was not interested in seeing 'The last Air bender' until now!

Kristen Stewart has really grown as an actress. All three of the 'trifecta' were good, but she had an air of maturity about her this time. Maybe it was intentional as Bella is graduating and a whole year older than Twilight. She's not the only one who has grown into her role... How about that Taylor Lautner?? What a transformation he has made from Twilight!! Looking forward to seeing more of him as his movie career continues. He is a sweet, unassuming young man. A rare find in Hollywood today.

I would have liked to have seen more of the motorcycle 'abduction' of Bella from school. I cant place my finger on it, but I felt something was missing. Edward didn't seem 'mad' enough maybe...And the fact that whole girls sleepover scene was missing entirely is a bummer.

I am glad that parts from the sleepover were weaved in however. So at the time it doesn't feel like you missed too much, but now that I've had time to reflect, I notice it.

The bedroom scene was appropriate. PG 13 appropriate. The intimacy was definitely there throughout the whole movie despite its rating. They kept the line "Keep your clothes on Bella" as well as "I'm old fashioned and want to be married to you first". I think statements like those are what make Twilight special from other books and an important message for teens. And we Twimoms find it endearing. The engagement scene was right on, and I wish they had lingered a little while longer on that.

At times I felt they were rushing it, and missed the time of reflection that Twilight and NM had. It was only 2 hours and 4 min, but wished it was 3 hours and 4 min!!

Speaking of intimacy, how about THE kiss with Jacob and Bella! WOW! I enjoyed watching that more than the kisses with her and Edward! I had heard her in interviews say that was the part that made her the most nervous. She really wanted to get it right- that was important to her. They succeeded!! His hand looked HUGE on her waist(- just something I noticed.)

Taylor did a great job at portraying his anger throughout as well. Particularly in his garage when she tells him about the 'change' after graduation.

How funny was the scene of the sex talk in the kitchen? The look on Kristen's face is priceless, and I really felt the awkwardness of the situation. The other priceless moment was Charlie's expression when Jacob tells him he kissed her and she broke her hand. The trailers didn't show you the whole scene there, and I'm glad they didn't! Another scene that you didn't see all of was outside the school when she rides off with Jacob. It was nice to see a little of those scenes, as a teaser and to hold me off till the movie came out, but glad I was surprised to see more there!

I like Bryce Dallas Howard, but still think Rachel Lafever would have played a better Victoria. Summit should have paid her more or whatever it was...

She wasn't as conniving or vicious enough. She is pretty an delicate, not how I picture Victoria and not how she was in Twilight. A little more hardcore and dangerous. The one time she did well was when Edward coaxed her to attack and she bears her teeth as she pounces. But that was about it.

How cute was Seth?? He is adorable and casted well. I look forward to seeing more of him Breaking Dawn. Leah is gorgeous and perfect for her role as well. Her interactions with Jacob look promising for BD.

Nikki Reed did a great job at making us feel bad about her situation in life and did her best at trying to convince Bella not to choose immortality. I totally 'got' it, but Bella does not. That was the best I've seen her act as well. They finally did a great job at portraying her beauty. In Twilight they did a good job, more of a siren-type of girl. In NM she looked like she was dead! But in E, she looks beautiful, and I enjoyed watching her play her part.

My heart broke for Jacob as he was lying on his bed with half of his body broken and Bella comes to him...He says to her "Don't leave, I want to get all the breaking over with at once..." As he is sweaty and shivering from the pain. I was totally not prepared to see him in such a sad state! I didn't have a picture of that in my head from reading the book. More of a stoic Jacob, than one that cries out. But I was OK with it. Him lying on the ground, naked and curled up in a fetal position, crying out in agonizing pain, is a picture I won't soon forget!

Lastly is the Meadow scenes...What can I say? Perfect. Intimate. Sweet. Comfortable. Interesting...Either they've done that sort of thing before with each other...or they are really good at what they do!! What do you think??

Reflections on 'Water for Elephants'

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

First of all I have to say that this novel is NOT for teens (due to some sexual content and language). Second of all, I am surprised I stuck it out and Thankful to Kristi and Rhoda who encouraged me to finish.

The setting is during the Depression- early 1930's in a circus traveling by train. It starts a little slow. I felt it picked up speed about half way thru ( no pun intended). Use a filter due to language. I personally am not used to that, but can see how it was common at the time and gives depth to the characters. I would have liked a little more 'emotion' from the main character. WHY he did, not just WHAT he did.

I actually expected more 'feeling' because the author is female- a bias - I realize...

The title doesn't give justice to the book. I can see how someone might pass it up based on its title alone.

I came away from this novel with a greater sense of appreciation and respect for the elderly! It's written in first person as a ninety something old man revisits his past. I related to the nurses caring for him in the nursing home. I tried to put myself in 'Rosemary's' shoes. The other aspect I could relate to was age, even though I'm fifty- five years younger than he. 'Jacob' mentions how he feels betrayed by his body, and more recently his mind. Well, I plucked my first grey hair this month!! Not just one, but two!! ( Yes- I know some of you don't have any sympathy for me!) I also see my body betraying my mind in the mirror- fine lines around my eyes and age spots appearing on my hands and cheeks...not to mention the uneven weight distribution from having six children.

OK - I'll move on...

The story is endearing and one of love, not just of man but animal as well. You come to love the animals as she brings alot of detail to their mannerisms. I was a little surprised by the ending, but not so much...you can almost guess what is going to happen. I found myself thinking ' Yes! Do it!!' When you read the book- you'll know what I mean...

I also came away with more knowledge of the Depression, the Circus, and Prohibition. For those of you who are homeschooling and use CM theory- this was a 'living' book. A 'real' book written by an author who is passionate and knowledgeable on the subject. However, as I mentioned before, not for children or teens. Speaking of children, I pictured three people in my head for the main character- Jacob. My nephew, because his name is Jacob. William, my son, for his hair is red, as is the character. And Rob Pattinson, for as some of you already know, he is playing Jacob and filming WFE as I write this blog. Which is the main reason why I wanted to read it in the first place. So when the movie came out I'd have something to compare it to. (Yes I'm Team Edward- Now you all know!)

I got alot more out of it than I bargained for and am glad I read something that is out of my comfort zone! I would give it 4 stars!