Instamonth Day 15

The lazy do not roast any game,
    but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

Psalm 12:27

Craftgawker love

I love anything related to house, decor, crafts, food, and pretty things. And since we are saving money, I need me some fresh and cheap inexpensive ideas to make my humble abode a bit brighter and fun.

One of my main inspirations lately has been Craftgawker. First, I love the format. It's like a Pinterest without the make-me-feel-bad pictures of 15 year olds working out or tons of pictures of chicken recipes that make me sad for the little birds.

 And the best thing about it is the constant source of stuff. Check out some of my fave projects just from this week:

Legos join the terrarium fun. Why didn't I think of that?

Hardwood floors are officially boring in my book from now on.

A wreath out of old book pages. Whaaaa???

 

Meat Free Mondays: Omelets

Source

I have always loved eggs: boiled, scrambled, fried, deviled, hot, cold.... Since becoming a vegetarian, I learned to cherish them all the more!

I asked my nutricionist what is the frequency I can have them (I could have them every day if it was up to me!) and she told me that as long as I have organic eggs, three to four times a week would be ok.

I actually don't tend to eat them for breakfast, but I love an omelet for dinner. Add some mushrooms, zuchini or even some collard greens, yum! What is your favorite way of eating eggs?

This post was added to Midnight Maniac's Meat-free Mondays.

Currently loving it!

It’s been a while since I last posted some links that I enjoyed, so I figured I should share some of my current blogging favorites with y’all! And thanks to Bloglovin, I have a one-stop shop when it comes to reading them.

Food

Could this Root Pizza look any more delicious? Click here for the recipe!

I actually met Cami at SCAD, so I don’t feel so stalker-ish about reading her blog. She has awesome vegan, gluten free and all around healthy recipes in her blog como.come.cami always written both in English and Spanish, for all food lover’s delight!

House

I am so excited that Amanda got herself a new house. No, I’m not her friend, and actually she doesn’t even know I exist, so technically that probably means I am a stalker. Well, if loving Our Humble A(Bowe)d is wrong, I don’t want to be right….and the fact that she got a new house means we’ll get to see all sort of fun projects again- at last I hope so!

Inspirational

It’s a tough choice, but lately I’ve been able to relate to Giving Up On Perfect. Yesterday’s post on McDonald’s was actually the reason I wanted to share my current blog love with you!

Meat-Free Mondays

Source

You’ve heard me talk about being a vegetarian, and today I’d like to share with you a really cool idea started by none other than PaulMcCartney.

Meet Meat-Free Mondays. It can change your life.

It’s a very simple concept: one day a week, you give up your treasured meat. I know so many people who give up sugar, chocolate, sodas, fried food and such several days a week, but get quite defensive about giving up meat one day a week. Just hear me out:

You will not get sick or weak. There are plenty of protein replacements such as beans, nuts and vegetables. Yes, it’s bad to cut meat and live off of grilled cheese only. But if you eat properly, other ingredients in your diet will balance out the meat you cut off. And since this is for one day a week, you’ll be able to go back to your Chicken Alfredo Pasta tomorrow. If the concept of all things meat-y is too big for you to cut right now, remember that eggs can make a delicious hearty meal.

You will save money. Although organic produce tends to be a bit pricey, meat products are still more expensive. Cutting meat one day a week means cutting down 1/7 of your meat intake. Spoil yourself by using that money for something you really want.

You will help the planet. We are all about not wasting energy and recycling, but mankind’s meat eating habit is not exactly eco-friendly. Cows need green pasture, lots of water and produce tons of CO2, aka what is killing the ozone layer. So if everyone were to avoid meat once a day, that would be a big help.

You will discover new yummy things. Who knew I loved pearl barley or curry tofu? Not me, because I was too busy stuffing my face with hot-dogs and ramen noodles. Cutting meat for one day a week will guarantee you a chance to become more creative in your cooking or restaurant searching.

The Kind Diet’s Summer Succotash

You might have read around here that I have been attempting to cook. Today I would like to share with you a vegan recipe that pleased my husband, who is not into veggies: The Kind Diet’s Summer Succotash:

I love lima beans, but they are not well known in Brazil. Maybe it’s because we are serious about our beans and have quite a few of them. When I saw the canned imported lima beans on the grocery store shelf, I couldn’t care less about conservatives and the other stuff they put in cans to make it last long, I just craved for some lima loving that would remind me of good ol’ Georgia.

As always, I gave my own twist onto the recipe. First, because we don’t have vegan butter around. But also because I am just picky like that:

Julie’s Summer Succotash

Ingredients:

-lima beans

-corn

-tomatoes

-red onions

-garlic, olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste

-vinegar

-chopped parsley

Heat the olive oil and garlic, add the onions until soft. Add the lima beans first, the corn after a while and the tomatoes last. Sprinkle some chopped parsley and vinegar when you are done.

My self-imposed cooking challenge

I can’t remember the last time I posted about food. That just goes to show how little thought I tend to give to my meals. I have struggled with my weight for decades now, and as a vegetarian, have learned that mindless munching adds up pretty quickly.

There is a combination of factors for my lack of enthusiasm over the stove. Working out all day surrounded by young children means I am tired by the time dinner rolls around. My husband is a true Ready, Set, Cook chef, being able to throw any two things in the pantry together and make it work. Truth be told, I am a horrible cook. One of those capable of burning and yet undercooking something at the same time.

Every time I decide to give cooking a go, I get all excited, plan a whole week’s worth of exquisite meals and give up by Wednesday. So this time, to make it work, I decided to start slowly. Really slowly.

I will make one meal a week from scratch. That’s not to say I won’t cook any more, but I will devote myself to learn and dedicate myself to one meal a week. I chose my two favorite veggie books as guides: The Kind Diet, by Alicia Silverstone, and Mark’s and Spencer’s Vegetarian Book.

I have mentioned The Kind Diet several times, and I must say it has become my veggie bible. I’ve read it three times in the last year, each time learning something new. The recipes all sound delicious and exotic, and since I’ve had a bit of trouble finding products in the past I’ve put it on the back burner. Not anymore.

 Mark’s and Spencer’s Vegetarian Book is an indulgent guilty pleasure. There are some very healthy meals, but they are mainly luscious pizzas, pastas and the such. All yummy, and I am sure I will use it more and more once winter comes upon us here in Brazil.

Without further a-do, I’d like to share with you my first recipe: Mark’s and Spencer’s Vegetarian Book’s Country Salad with Horseradish dressing. Here is a picture of the book version:

I must be honest and admit I copped out of the fancy dressing. One, because I was a bit iffy about the horseradish exotic-ness. Two, because as I have been on a new healthy feeding scheme (a.k.a a diet),I promised my nutritionist I would always season my salads with olive oil, which I did.

Here is my version and recipe. As you can see, I don’t set quantities simply because I don’t believe in them unless the dish won’t work without specific measurements (such as in a cake).

Julie’s M&S Inspired Country Salad

Ingredients:

-cooked and chopped beetroot

-split peas

-boiled egg

- onion

-cherry tomatoes

-lettuce or arugula

Stir fry the onion with olive oil and garlic to taste. Once they are soft, add peas. After they get soft, add the beetroot and cherry tomatoes, just to heat them lightly. On a dish, add the boiled egg, and serve over a bed of lettuce.