day 53

breakfast:
skipped

lunch:
another documentary "fat sick and nearly dead"

had me searching for juicers on amazon and grabbing another bowl of raw veggies (same lunch as yesterday). i'm seriously considering juicing ten days before my doctor's appointment. with juicing, you're consuming 4 times the nutrients as you would trying to eat the vegetables whole. gives your immune system that additionally boost. seems to make sense to me!

dinner:
cashews, goji berries, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs
zucchini, summer squash, broccoli, jicama

day 52

breakfast:
green tea

lunch:

i started watching this documentary "food matters" on netflix today. it was equally powerful, eye-opening, and disheartening. i didn't stop to think about how old produce is from when i purchase it to when i consume it. i always knew the value of shopping at farmers markets in the sense of cutting costs on traveling and supporting local farms. but the fact that the produce loses most of its nutrients after a few days, and after it's exposed to heat got me feeling frustrated in what i have been trying to achieve in the last 50 days. so i whipped me up a bowl of raw goodness.

spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers in a balsamic dressing. ooh baby i like it raw.

dinner:

i hung out with fanny most of the afternoon. with this heatwave, she thought it might be a good idea to walk around the air-conditioned mall with emily. between the baby and jack, we never made it out of the house! it felt good helping her out, and chatting with her. we had a late dinner with mike at santana row while ryan experimented with intermittent fasting at home. since we were all starving, we ordered appetizers at veggie grill while waiting for our table at the counter. buffalo wings with ranch dressing and vegan nachos. it may have been because we were starving, but we scarfed down those plates quickly! just in time for my vegan burger next door!

day 51

breakfast:
green tea

lunch:
veggie chili

snack:
tangerine

dinner:
veggie chili

day 50

breakfast:

it's been over 50 days since i stepped into a starbucks so i went to the drive-thru...hahaha...ok, i did but i got a pretty boring beverage. decaf soy vanilla latte. i had to with this funky weather.

lunch:
finished up my veggie pho

dinner:

i bought more dairy free products. daiya cheddar cheese and tofutti sour cream. with the dreary day, i decided a bowl of chili would be nice. using ground protein, kidney beans, and bell peppers this made a tasty dinner! ry loved it too!

dessert:

i made the most delicious chocolate pudding today! i had leftover medjool dates from the "cheesecake" i made so i found this recipe:
http://chocolateandcarrots.com/2013/05/chocolate-date-mousse
simple and decadent! went well with my baked peanut butter cookies (made with earth balance butter of course)

the word of the day today was "comfort". i didn't sleep well last night, waking up with tense muscles and stressed thoughts every 15-20 minutes. and i'm not even sure why i was so troubled! i didn't fall asleep until almost 4am, and therefore canceled on helping out at the celebrity golf tournament that benefitted the make-a-wish foundation. perhaps i was feeling rotten about flaking which in turn led to seeking comfort in food, in people...

day 49

breakfast:

"scramble"
bell peppers, onions, summer squash sauteed in olive oil blended with spinach and avocado
this definitely satisfied my craving for a savory breakfast!

lunch:
the chuns unexpectedly dropped by while ry was out, and before i planned to do my grocery shopping for the week. no biggie because we love hanging with them, but since my fridge was cleaned out, potato chips, popcorn, peaches and blueberries were our lunch!

dinner:

we went out to yardhouse with the chuns and i got this ridiculously huge portion for dinner! wanted a change from the veggie burger, so i ordered the gardein™ orange peel chicken. crispy "chicken", broccoli & bok choy in a spicy sweet orange glaze with brown rice. i loved it!

dessert:
while mike and fanny got their sweet fix at pinkberry, and ry got a scoop of gelato at the market, i was craving something sugary too! i hopped into veggie grill and ordered the grilled cookie. it took for-ever for them to pack it to go, but it was quite good. well, the cookie not so much, but the pudding and chocolate sauce were delightful!


it was a gloomy, muggy and later rainy sunday. spending time with my hubby and our friends (and precious baby girl) was a perfect way to end the weekend.

day 48

breakfast:
1/2 cup kale
1/2 cup spinach
1 cup cantaloupe juice
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 scoop protein powder

lunch:
ry and i walked over to san pedro square to meet the chun family for lunch on this gorgeous day!

i started with a vegan hot dog from calidog:

a soy and wheat based dog with japanese inspired flavors of roasted seaweed, teriyaki-onion sauce, sprinkled off with a little chili heat. the bun was not vegan however so i steered clear of it. it was ok, but i was appreciative of the staff's knowledge of my diet restrictions as well as having a vegan option available.

next up:

a quinoa and roasted bell pepper taco (sandwiched between a carnitas and carne asada taco - so wrong) from loteria taco bar. lots of flavor and kick! the chips and fresh salsa were delicious as well!

dessert:

lemon sorbet & orange dream flavors from treatbot. so refreshing eating this under the tree in 80+ degree weather!

dinner:

faux pho aka veggie noodle soup from pho viet. i've ordered this before - tons of vegetables in a vegetable broth. satisfying indeed!

exercise:
over 3 miles of walking (with food breaks in between). it's so nice to be able to walk to san pedro square market!

happy day today with the chuns. i love how they've embraced parenthood and have incorporated emily into their social life. not an easy thing to do!

day 47

breakfast:
1 cup kale
1/2 cup spinach
1 small apple
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup cantaloupe juice
2 scoops protein powder

lunch:

quinoa with bell peppers, squash, spinach and avocado with balsamic dressing
tangerine

snack:

gluten-free, dairy-free mini blueberry cupcake from the graduation celebrations at school today. it was delicious, and now thinking about, probably was made with egg because it was too freakin' good not to!

dinner:
same as lunch but i love that quinoa & vegetable combo!

dessert:
i attempted to make a peach and coconut sorbet with my food processor but really needed an ice cream maker to get the right texture. still tasted pretty yummy, but i forgot to take a pic.

snack:
turmeric tea

and another two weeks of vacation start...

day 46

breakfast:
1 cup spinach
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup strawberries
1 cup cantaloupe juice
2 scoops protein powder

snack:
mix of cashews, blueberries, goji berries, pumpkin seeds & cacao nibs

lunch:
cauliflower "mashed potatoes" with roasted tomatoes and spinach
tangerine

dinner:

quinoa with spinach, bell peppers & summer squash
salad with tomatoes & sesame dressing
avocado with olive oil

dessert:

raspberry ice cream:
frozen banana and raspberries pureed in the food processor to a creamy texture

snack:
lightly salted organic popcorn from world market

i'm having so much fun living here! look at these beautiful avocados from our backyard! it's a hassle raking and sweeping up those leaves but growing such delicious produce makes it worth it!


and guess who started following me on instagram...

ok, so i followed him first but it's still pretty exciting! #thugkitchen

day 45 - halfway point!!!

breakfast:
1 cup spinach
1/2 frozen banana
1/4 cup strawberries
1 cup cantaloupe juice

lunch:
salad with carrots, tomatoes & avocado
green tea

dinner:
orecchiette pasta with meatballs, asparagus and spinach
brussel sprouts and aioli

dessert:
whiskey bread pudding - a fail without any eggs, i mut admit

my 45-day montage of my favorite vegan dishes:


got to catch up a bit with my sister, rona. nice to hear that she's doing well with her new job and the boys are staying busy this summer. i get to see them in a few weeks when they visit the bay area in july! very much looking forward to that!

day 44

breakfast:

2 cups kale
cantaloupe juice
2 scoops protein powder

lunch:

mixed spring greens with avocado, tomatoes, & sesame soy dressing
whole wheat toast with earth balance spread
turmeric tea

dinner & dessert:

roasted brussel sprouts with garlic aioli (made with vegenaise)
orecchiette pasta sauteed in olive oil, earth balance with "meatballs", asparagus and spinach
strawberry-lime granita
more chocolate peanut butter cheesecake!

weigh-in:

day 43

breakfast:

medjool dates, crushed walnuts & almonds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds

lunch:
romaine lettuce, carrots with a dijon mustard garlic dressing

snack:
popcorn

dinner:
cauliflower mashed potatoes
http://prideandvegudice.com/2010/12/27/the-best-mashed-cauliflower/
zucchini, squash, asparagus, tomatoes with chimichurri sauce
salad with avocado and tomato

dessert:

chocolate peanut butter "cheese"cake courtesy of kitchen genius yvonne rodriguez. so thankful she shared this recipe with me! it was delicious!

exercise:
no...not again. but my morning weigh-ins keep looking like this:

it's hard not to be reinforced by that.

day 42

breakfast:

1 cup spinach
1/2 frozen banana
3/4 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup coconut water
1 T protein powder
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 T earth balance

lunch:
lettuce wrap salad

dinner:
cauliflower mashed potatoes
http://prideandvegudice.com/2010/12/27/the-best-mashed-cauliflower/
salad with tomatoes, avocado with sesame dressing
1/2 cob sweet corn
zucchini, summer squash, balsamic roasted cherry tomatoes with chimichurri sauce

dessert:
watermelon, pineapples, strawberries and blueberries

we had ryan's family over for father's day. i got to facetime with my father and part of the family earlier this afternoon. appreciate having both of these men in my life.

day 41

breakfast:
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 T peanut butter
green tea with coconut oil

snack:
sliced apples

lunch:
lettuce wraps

snack:
potato chips
tangerine

movie snack:
blueberries, goji berries, walnuts, almonds, brazil nut

my good deed for the day:

manning the food station at the walk for wishes in monterey. thanking make-a-wish for all the amazing things they've done for my family and thousands of others! give back.


can you believe i wasn't even tempted by these?!?! not in the least - honest.

we've all heard of the benefits of laughter. it relaxes the body, boosts the immune system, releases endorphins, and protects the heart. amazing right? i had a dose of 100 minutes thanks to, what i predict will be, my favorite movie of all time:


and i thought i couldn't love michael cera any more than i already do. amazingly awesome. i realize it may not be for everyone, but all the actors whom i adore and whose humor swoons me are in it. that said, watch this movie. then watch it again and again.

day 40

breakfast:
muffin
chia fresca

lunch:
met ry, mike, fanny and baby emily at veggie grill...gotta eat here as much as i can!

this time i tried their crab cake on a bed of steamed kale and a side of red cabbage slaw
washed it down with their delicious hibiscus pomegranate tea!

dinner:
made my cheesecake version of lettuce wraps - so good!
sautéed tofu and mushrooms in onions and garlic with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar
marinated cucumbers
shredded carrots
sliced avocado
romaine lettuce
soy/chili sauce
dijon mustard/garlic sauce
peanut sauce

snacks:
world market organic popcorn
sweet maui onion potato chips

we had everyone over tonight for dinner and drinks. love my bay area family!

day 39

breakfast:
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 T peanut butter
green tea with coconut oil

lunch:
blueberries, goji berries, almonds, walnuts, brazil nut

dinner:

it's been super warm this week so i decided to try a thug kitchen recipe
http://thugkitchen.com/post/35623224053/alright-so-you-want-something-sweet-refreshing">
arugula, avocado, tomato salad
mushroom soup leftovers

exercise:
3.5 mile walk with ry around our neighborhood...loving where we live :)

today i worked with aaron and johnny for three hours then jason for another two. i left feeling so fulfilled and content. it's been a while since i've felt that way about my job. what a great feeling!


what's not to love about life?

day 38

breakfast:
green tea

lunch:
i met ry for lunch at veggie grill in santana row.

had their delicious fish tacos with a side of roasted corn salsa and bean chili...very satisfying and didn't even miss the fish!

dinner:
i made another batch of vegan man n' cheese with penne, broccoli and peas. the scent and flavor of the nutritional yeast did NOT sit well with me this time. i tried masking it with truffle oil, but it still made my stomach queasy. ry ended up eating it but i'm sure the added kielbasa helped!

here's what i ate:

a simple mushroom, zucchini, spinach soup in a vegetable broth seasoned with onions, garlic, salt and pepper

snack:
more of my banana coconut oil muffins

heard this song on live 105 today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGvHnDeS12o

it's been almost two weeks since i've worked...not responding well to the lack of structure, but shouldn't really be complaining right?

day 37

breakfast:

blueberries & almonds - loving this combination
green tea

lunch:

annie chun's miso soup bowl...a bit disappointed in the flavor and texture of this one
turmeric tea

dinner:

spinach salad with avocado, tomatoes and lemon-olive oil dressing
roasted kale and brussel sprouts
more of my delicious spaghetti and "meat"balls

dessert:
banana coconut muffins courtesy of this recipe:
http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/04/fluffy-vegan-coconut-oil-banana-muffins.html

with a little help from my friends: