All posts filed under: Uncategorized

so much to be thankful for and a veggie Thanksgiving

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The list of ALL the things I have to be thankful for is simply too long to write.  So, let me just tell you where I was at in life one year ago today. I was in the midst of a high risk pregnancy and wondering every day if it would really work out. I was taking my mom to chemo and watching her suffer. I was trying to cover the work of about three people at my job while worrying about the above two things. Life will always have challenges.  It is easy to forget what to be thankful for and instead, focus on new stresses or troubles. This year, things are very different. I was given the honor of being the mother of a little boy that is so incredible that it sometimes seams surreal that he is mine. My mother is now strong and healthy.  She was also recently introduced to a doctor that, in one day, gave her hope and a plan. My work situation has dramatically changed for the positive …

happy Halloween and…a new sister blog!

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Happy Halloween everyone!  I will make this short and sweet.  Before I was a parent, excessive baby chatter really made me glaze over.  I get it.  Just for fun and to spare my non-parent readers, I’ve created a new blog, just for parents. It is called 1 Veggie Mom, of course, and you can view it here. **Update, 1 Veggie Mom has been disabled. Of course, I can’t let Halloween go by without sharing a picture of my little pumpkin.  Here is a teaser.  You can see more on my new blog.  I hope you will become a subscriber of 1 Veggie Mom!  If not, don’t worry.  I’ll still be posting here as well.

make your very own organic baby food

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I don’t know about you, but I think feeding babies is way more complex than one would think before actually becoming a parent.  Breastfeed or not?  Which formula?  How often?  Breastfeed AND formula?  Is he/she getting enough?  Is he/she getting too much?  Milk allergy.  Soy allergy.  Reflux. Organic?  When do I start solids?  Veggies first?  Fruit first? Seriously.  If I’ve learned anything, it is that you just go with your instincts.  Family will tell you one thing. Books will tell you another.  Online articles and posts will make you want to give your child a bottle until he/she is twelve when you read about what can happen if there is an allergy issue.  Doctors will give you the facts, but they aren’t with your child all day long.  The one who knows best is you.  So, just go with it. In my case, I was able to breastfeed part-time.  Anderson had a milk protein allergy, so I had to completely give up dairy and change his formula.  I am a working mom, so when I …

September joy

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Is it really September?  Can it be true?  The crisp air and pretty mums on my porch tell me that summer has come to an end.  The summer came and went so fast, like it always does. This weekend was full of joy and peace. I indulged in a book.  A new book.  Nothing lofty, just the latest installment in the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerritsen.  The TV show is lacking, but the book series is addicting. I made potato leak soup.  Have I shared my recipe?  I don’t think I have.  I will soon.  It is most definitely a comfort food that feels naughty, but is actually really healthy.  I also made salad and used tomatoes, a cucumber, a pepper, and herbs from our garden.  I can’t describe the pride I feel when I feed my family with food Chris and I grew together. I bought the latest Vegetarian Times.  The October 2012 issue has a recipe for Dried Fruit Compote in Spiced Zinfandel Syrup.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  I have to try …

when the going gets tough, bake blueberry banana muffins

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I needed some comfort food today.  It has been a really stressful few weeks and tomorrow is a big milestone in our household: first day of daycare.  I do love the daycare we found because it is very much like school, even for little guys like mine.  They have curriculum that includes music, reading, outdoor time, and of course basic motor skills taught by trained person rather than just mom and dad.  No matter how much I like the daycare, he isn’t with me and he isn’t with Chris, so it is hard now and I think it will take some getting used to.  Even with Chris home, I drive away in the morning feeling like I’m missing a limb.  With Chris back to work, we are leaving precious cargo behind in our hometown.  I know, I know – this is good for him and will reduce overall separation anxiety and will ensure he has solid social skills and all of that, but it is hard for the parents! But…I am also really lucky because …

sun-dried tomato hummus

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Whenever I have people over or when I need to bring a snack to a gathering, I always bring my good ol’ fashioned standby: hummus.  It is so easy, and yet people are always amazed that it is homemade. It is inexpensive to make and without a doubt, it tastes so much better than the stuff we can buy in the store.  As I mentioned in this post, I’ve been loving sun-dried tomato lately and therefore this recipe incorporates these delicious, meaty veggies that are packed with vitamin C. Ingredients 1 can of garbanzo beans (organic preferred), drained 2 tbsp olive oil 2-3 garlic cloves (depending on size) 3 tbsp tahini juice from 1 large lemon 1/2 tsp cumin 1 roasted red pepper (drained if you are using one from a jar) 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes including 1 tbsp of the oil they are packed in salt and pepper to taste Hungarian paprika Put all ingredients into your food processor except the paprika and garbanzo beans.  Pulse until everything is chopped. Then add the garbanzo beans. …

why I love Saturday mornings (in Instagram)

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Every saturday, I wake up to a smiling little boy that I get to spend ALL day with.  Our tradition, weather permitting, is to go out and water and weed the garden together.  I tell him what all of the plants are (while pretending he understands me).  Just in the past week or two, he started to reach out to grab the flowers, which is completely adorable. This morning, I had my cell phone with me and decided to take some pictures of the garden via Instagram. I hope you enjoy seeing how our garden grows.

kitty drama

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Today has just been full of drama and chaos. First, because we are redoing our living room, it is virtually empty and the living room stuff is in piles in other locations. We also have no sofa to sit on.  It is being delivered tonight. Second, it is smoldering hot. I mean really hot.  Chris had to go stand in the baby pool to cool off.  I may just do the same. The day started with the power going out at my office, which resulted in trying to track down my colleagues to tell them to work at home and notifying the appropriate parties at our parent company.  Then, of course, the networks were down.  I finally just had to let a bunch of items from my to-do list go today.  Insert scene from the movie Office Space where they beat the crap out of some equipment. Then, we had to bring Anderson for his four month checkup…with shots of course. I was so prepared to hear that cry that breaks my heart.  Instead, he didn’t even make a face.  I can’t …

sun dried tomato pasta salad

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I can’t get enough of sun dried tomatoes lately.  That is, when I find time to go beyond a pb&j or a veggie burger!  I tend to forgo dinner in order to spend time with the little bambino. I had forgotten about them for ages until, for some reason, I grabbed a jar at the grocery store because they looked all red and yummy (and what isn’t delish after it has been soaking in oil of course).  Now I have a few great sun dried tomato recipes to share this week. First up, sun dried tomato pasta salad.  We always make the same old boring and non-vegan pasta salad with mayo and onions and celery.  I set out to create a yummy pasta salad without mayo, that also felt satisfying (and still had crunchy celery of course). Luckily, I was able to use what I always seem to have on hand (especially balsamic vinegar).  The key ingredients are pasta, sun dried tomatoes, and Good Seasons Italian Dressing packets.  The rotini pasta is kindof key because …

Cancer and Nutrition: Whole Foods, Not Empty Calories

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WOW is it hard to find time to blog since I’ve gone back to work, but I will find a groove.  Though my posts may be more sporadic, they’ll still come!  There are animals to take care of, veggies growing like crazy in my garden, many a good recipe to share, and of course, many pictures to share of my little man. As you know, cancer has been a major part of life since my mother and dear friend was diagnosed last year.  She is a firm believer in positive thinking, eating healthy food, and holistic medicine.  She and my father just went vegan!  She has a passion for nutrition (she should have been a nutritionist) and always wants to share tips with others.  I was so pleasantly surprised when I recently received a note from Jillian McKee, Complementary Medicine Advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance and writer for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog, wanting to share a guest post with 1 Veggie at a Time readers.   She and my mother have similar ways …