Hungry Hungry Hippie: skinny bitch

Even after working 3 days in a row, I still couldn't even sleep in! I woke up at 8 (but really just rolled over and turned the tv on). I actually got up an hour or so later, and got my coffee on.

SO frothy :)

A little later I decided to finish my dessert from last night. Yeah, vegan chocolate mousse is not exactly a typical breakfast food, but who's to say I'm typical. Me? Normal? Not so much.

More AM snacking continues...vanilla soy yogurt (these babies are HARD to find in the store lately, so I have kinda been saving this one). Why does it seem like every time I discover a new healthy vegan treat, it suddenly disappears from the store? I can't find soy "holly" nog for the life of me, and my fave hummus flavor has been out of stock for weeks! I'm really starting to get frustrated. If odwalla bars are the next to go, I'm going to cry, because those are now a MEGA staple in my diet.

Moving on. For lunch I had a breakfast-y type sandwich with whole wheat bread, ff Fage, egg beaters, and soy bacon (8 strips!!).

Side view...mmm

After lunch I started getting myself pumped up for some exercising. Yep, it was a big day - I FINALLY went to the gym after about a month off. It's amazing how out of shape you can get in such a short amount of time. I warmed up on the elliptical for 15 minutes, starting at level 7 and escalating the intensity up to 12. Then I ran for 30 minutes on the tread mill going SO slow (4.5) on incline 1 (I hate flat running, but I'm not ready to really push myself yet). After that, I switched back to the elliptical for a 20 minute cool down, starting at level 10 and making my way down to 7, with both forward and backwards pedalling. Then I stretched for an eternity, although I think being sore tomorrow is unavoidable after such a long hiatus from the gym.

After I showered I had a glass of soy milk, an apple, and some dried edamame to tide me over until dinner.

Errands done.

Guess what I'm making for dinner....

Thanks to my amazing sister's birthday present (Skinny Bitch in the Kitch), I am learning all sorts of creative ways to cook vegan-friendly meals. So, now that I have the time and energy, I am ready to take on a pasta dish from the "Italian Bitch" chapter.

I'll be cooking with seitan for the first time (although I've eaten it several times before, I've never made anything myself with it).

Here's the recipe for Green Goddess Pasta:

4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons refined coconut oil (I used EVOO instead)
6 tablespoons vegan butter (I used earth balance)
3 quarts water
About 5 teaspoons fine sea salt (I think I used WAY more)
1 1⁄2 pounds seitan

8 ounces whole wheat or brown rice elbow macaroni (I opted for Ezekiel penne instead)
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1⁄4-inch slices
1 broccoli crown, cut into bite-sized florets (about 2-1⁄2 cups)
1⁄2 bunch (about 4 ounces) kale, cut into 1⁄2-inch strips
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
1⁄4 cup pine nuts (I hate pine nuts, so clearly I omitted these)

And Voila!

It was a fairly simple recipe (I figured starting with pasta was best, though) and since it tasted excellent, I will consider it a success. So now that I graduated from the pasta realm, I can't wait tackle more of the recipes in this book! Thanks Laura!!!!