Getting Into a Daily Routine

Well NOT really a DAILY Routine...but a beginning of the day routine.  I have been able to stick with my B-Complex and/or B-12 intake since Saturday so far.  Since it's winter in the snow belt I have been including a squirt of Vitamin D Spray.  All of which are part of the MyKind Organics Line...all whole food, plant based, vegan vitamins!  

My goal is to go a solid month and hopefully longer this time around.  A Morning Routine will help me with this.  I figure if I am overly pushy about giving my dog his meds - why can't I do the same for me? LOL

I have been trying to sleep differently the last several nights.  I'm usually a side sleeper and I think this is catching up with me.  I'm trying my hardest to lay on my back now.  So far - so good.

I'm still not real good about daily breakfasts.  That's something I still need to incorporate, work on, and stick with.  The last couple of months I have not been real good at eating breakfast or lunch.  I know that is really bad.  Then I pig out at dinner to make up for the rest of the day.  I will snack during the day sometimes if I have something to snack on but it's not the best in terms of healthy snack sometimes.  Because of all of this I have gained weight back.  This may or may not have anything to do with my aches and pains but it's probably best if I try and do better about it.

I've also started incorporating Chlorella back into my daily grind.  Mostly Mondays thru Fridays - because I have them on my work desk.  I will probably explain this more down the road.  In the meantime I am taking those again, too!

Herb intake!  I've upped it!  I thought about blogging about it as I drank them if I was in front of the computer which I may still do but for now - yesterday and today - I have been enjoying Brain Booster from Urbal Tea and Ginger & Lemon Myrtle from Lupicia.  

The Brain Booster from Urbal Tea includes: Gotu Kola, Peppermint, Ginko, Rosemary, Sage, Eleuthero, Parsley, Lemon Balm, Elderberry, Hibiscus, Apple, Blueberries, Currants, Cornflower, Raisins.

By doing this I am also cutting back on my caffeine.  Instead of 8 or more cups of highly caffed tea everyday I would like to stay to ONE or NONE to see what happens.

I found a way to do a little in more of the way of exercise in doors at work while in the winter months...STAIRS.  Simple enough.  I think I might tuck away a place for yoga during lunch soon, too!  I'm usually the only one in my office.  Time will tell.

I also picked up a few new bras.  I hate talking about those but I will since it's a change I am making.  I will give it a few days or weeks before reporting my findings.   

So far many of these changes are for the better.  I would like to work on attitude, inner peace, stress, anxiety, and muscle pain more, too!

I've also been feeling a salad kick coming on!  I have been eating more of them than usual but usually when I get in this mode...I will go for a month and eat HUGE salads at least once a day.  

I want to thank Christine and Hilary for their comments, encouragement, and support!  Keep on me!  I need it!

Vegan MoFo ~ Cheesy Taco Corn Chowder!

Check THIS soup out!  It's Cheesy Taco Corn Chowder and it's VEGAN!

Before I get to the recipe I wanted to stick with the prompt for today and that is to FOCUS ON A NUTRIENT!  Corn is high in Pantothenic Acid - also known as Vitamin B5 and this nutrient helps us USE fats, carbs, and proteins as energy sources.  It also helps our hormones and immune systems function.

Corn is 12 % Pantothenic Acid.  It's considered to be a GOOD source of the nutrient, however, the BEST natural source of the nutrient is Shittake Mushroom which have a whopping 52%.

Corn is also a good source of phosphorus, vitamin B3, B6, Manganese, and Fiber.

Here's my recipe for this super tasty soup!

Kernels from 4 ears of corn (or about 3 Cups)

Up to 2 C Water

About 3/4 C Cashews

1 to 2 Cloves Garlic

1 T Vegan Taco Seasoning (I used Wildtree Brand)

2 T Nutritional Yeast

Cilantro, Parsley, or Basil Leaves, Dried, to taste

Cayenne Pepper and/or a sprinkle of Taco Seasonsing & Nutritional Yeast to taste and on top

This was pretty amazing if I do say so myself!

Stir Fry Time, A Word About Coconut Animos, Mild Nacho Cheez Sauce, Mac & Cheez Peas, Portabella Burger, B Vitamins

Here's a look at my food creations from last night.  First up is a Veggie Stir Fry!  I used 1 Large Portabella Mushroom, 1 Onion, 1 Carrot, a splash of GSO (Grapeseed Oil), a handful of Walnuts, 2 Mini Red and Yellow Sweet Peppers, 2 C Broccoli, a few splashes of Coconut Aminos, and Water.  This was tasty!  I had a sample of it last night and saved the rest for dinner tonight.

A few words about Coconut Aminos...

I use Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos.  I like the flavor of this because it's almost like a gentle soy sauce type flavor.  I'm not usually a salty-foods and flavors fan but also know it's necessary in foods such as this stir fry.  This was a less salty and more healthy alternative.  I do tend to prefer Coconut Aminos and Braggs Liquid Aminos over Soy Sauce and other Soy Sauce alternatives.  Here's the Product Description from Coconut Secret:

Coconut Aminos Soy-Free Seasoning Sauce 100% Organic, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free,Vegan Coconut Aminos is raw, very low glycemic, an abundant source of 17 amino acids, minerals, vitamin and has a nearly neutral pH. A comparison between coconut tree sap and soy, shows that coconut sap contains 2-14 times the amino acid content of soy. Small batches ensure that our organic, low glycemic Coconut Aminos, made from this natural sap, is a raw enzymatically alive product aged and blended with sun dried, mineral-rich sea salt, hand gathered from pristine waters near the southern islands of the Philippine coast. Ingredients: Organic Coconut Sap aged and blended with Sun-Dried, Mineral-Rich Sea Salt. Nutritional Facts:Serving Size 1 Tsp. (5ml), Servings per Container 48, Calories 5 Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0g (0% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Sodium 113mg (5% DV), Total Carbohydrate 1g (0% DV), Sugars 0g, Protein 0g, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 0%. Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on 2,000 calorie diet. Net wt: 8 fl oz

 Another thing I did last night was a Mild Nacho Cheez Sauce.  I started with a suggestion I saw online but thought it was way too salty for my liking so I tweaked it.  It might need a little more tweaking but I thought it was a pretty good start:
1 C Cashews (Soaked 2 hours)
1 C Veggie Broth (I think I will use water next time)
2 Cloves Garlic
3 T Nutritional Yeast
2 T Light/Mild Miso (I used Brown Rice and would probably only use 1 T next time)
Water & Almond Milk to taste and for Consistency

I also added a tablespoon of Wildtree's Spicy Chipotle Ranch to this - I think I will try more of that next time for that little bit of extra ZING!  I couldn't help but use some of the left overs with a handful of corn chips while I wanting for my Macaroni Noodles to get 'done'.

Oh!  Yes...and I added about a cup or more of peas to this to make a "Mac & Cheez Peas" dish.

Next time I might also try this with some Broccoli instead or in addition to the peas but I really liked the way the sweet peas "popped' in your mouth.

I was originally going to have my Stuffed Mini Peppers I blogged about yesterday but I'm saving those for tonight instead.  Last night I needed to use some LARGE Portabella Mushrooms I had bought.  The first one is used in the Stir Fry at the top of this post and the other one marinated in a few tablespoons of Wildtree's European Dipping Oil - Balsamic.  It was EXTREMELY flavorful on its own but I threw it on a Potato Roll as you can see in these photos.

I started by laying down a few leaves of Leafy Greens/Lettuce, then stacked on the mushroom, then a slice of fresh avocado, then a little tomato.  This made a very tasty and flavorful "burger".  Since the Mushroom had a lot of mass to it - it did take a few more moments to 'flatten it out' which I did in a 'frying pan' on stove top and medium heat.

And just for kicks...here's another photo of this 'burger' to show the height...

No sauce was needed as this had a lot of flavor on its own.  I was pretty excited about these food accomplishments, too!

Another thing I have been trying to keep in mind are foods with B Vitamins in them.  I tend to forget that Quinoa has various B Vitamins in them.  For some reason I ALWAYS remember they are packed with protein - and are a COMPLETE Protein - and are high in calcium, but often forget about those B Vitamins!  Mushrooms are another good source of B Vitamins...and Nutritional Yeast is good, too!  Those are just a few quick examples.  More Coming Soon!

What I Ate Wednesday