No more lemons!

[...for some reason this post didn't publish last night, so I apologize for the delay!]

A mah-velous mornin' to you! Last night I prepared a batch of wheat berries, but when I woke up this morning, all I wanted was the original good ole' whipped banana oatmeal that I haven't had in ages.

And so, whipped banana instant oats it was!

• 1/4 cup instant oats


• 1/4 cup boiling water


• 1/2 mashed banana


• 1 tsp chia


• 1 tsp chocolate PB2


• dash of cinnamon and salt


• sprinkled with a few wheat berries for extra chewiness


• and colorful strawberry slices to beautify and brighten!

voila!

...and because my stomach warned me that it wasn't satisfied just yet, I had a teeny tiny piece of whole wheat flat bread with a tsp of MaraNatha Creamy Almond Butter, sprinkled with coconut flakes and chia. And then tummy was pleased.

A few hours later (during class) I snacked on a cutie - gosh darn they are so sweet and juicy! A perfect (and easily portable) snack.

Lunch came on the earlier side because (1) I came home earlier than expected since lecture got out early, (2) my stomach was ready for it, and (3) grandma had it all made already!

Russian Dill Pickle Soup "Rassol'nik" and sauteed vegetables with more wheat berries! (I rarely cook a batch of anything ahead of time. I prefer to make things on the spot. But since my wheat berries were made and ready to be eaten, I rather consume them as soon as possible to keep them fresh!)

They are so cute and round. Love their chewiness! And the nutrition facts are a-mazing | 7g protein, 6g fiber (22% DV!), and 10% DV iron! AWESOME.

Just as I was wrapping up my lunch and ready to leave the table, grandma pulled out roasted sweet potato from the oven. Sweet potatoes. One of my many foodie weakness. So in went a few slices. No regrets. There was still room. Ah, the beauty of leaving a table feeling 90% full :)

But just an hour later, and incredible sweet + chocolate craving kicked in... and for better or for worse, I had one recipe on my mind that clearly I couldn't get rid of... Chocolate-Covered Katie's Cookie Dough.

It looks like cookie dough. It takes like cookie dough... But it's actually chocolate chip hummus! haha. I love Katie's chocolate creations - she always adds a unique and healthy spin to the classic.

Among my mom, grandma, and me, it was devoured in its entirety... Looks like I'll have to make it again ASAP. No problem ;)

The cookie dough was consumed with a cup of tea... I made the mistake of not only infusing my tea with lemon, but also eating the entire lemon slice... Surely you recall that I love lemons and do eat them whole... My poor teeth, however, paid the price... I couldn't chew anything non-soft for the rest of the day... So that gorgeous salad you see right there... only the soft veggies (tomatoes and beets) were consumed... Instead, I had to rely on additional servings of the other dishes, which I didn't mind because they were delicious... Fried potatoes with mushroom, more sauteed veggies, and a teeny tiny pork cutlet (pasture raised!)

Late night snacking featured fresh pineapple - my favorite tropical fruit! Teeth were still sensitive, but I suffered through it. The pineapple was so worth it. :)

Happy Friday Night!

Tell me: Do you have any exciting travels, get-togethers, eats or treats planned for the weekend? Tomorrow night I'm going to a gymnastics meet with my friends from school!

Things are changing

Dear friends,

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! As you know, I finally took a break from my hectic life and went on a getaway with M and friends. We went skiing in Killington, Vermont, and it was absolutely wonderful! The weather was perfectly chilly and sunny - stayed in the low 30s the entire time! I'm very much so a beginner (this was my second time skiing). I was smart this time by staying on beginner/intermediate-low slopes, and I didn't fall once!!! (except for the one time a snowboarder literally swamp me off my feet by deciding to run into me...)

Weekend meals were also fantastic, and there certainly wasn't any shortage of food! Eggs, pancakes, chili, and incredible pizza (We ordered from The Pizza Jerks, which was more like gourmet pizza. "Tree Hugger" was my favorite of the three we ordered).

But today I would like to dedicate my post to some of the changes that I am going through, and I hope you all understand and support them... I originally started blogging at my old blog as a vegetarian, and then transitioned into veganism, which I loved wholeheartedly for all the right reasons - primarily for my love for animals and their well-being, and also for the health benefits of a raw+real food diet. I still fully support a plant-based diet and will forever be a veggie lover. However, I have recently decided to return to an omnivore lifestyle, as always with every intention of staying true to my emphasis on eating real, clean food.

Believe me, my stance on animal welfare will never change, and I will continue to make decisions to tread lightly on our Earth by living conscientiously and minimally... My decision is a somewhat a selfish one... I'm doing this for me... for my health.

For many years now (close to 7 years, to be precise), I have been struggling with hormonal imbalances, and at my current fruitful age of 23, I am far from fruitful, which is becoming more and more concerning to me with each passing day. As a teenager who was way too involved in varsity sports and always stressed out about being an overachiever, late menarche didn't seem too surprising or concerning to my doctors, and though I didn't go on to playing varsity sports, my level of stress and lack of sleep increased exponentially in college, again contributing to my irregularities and even amenorrhea.  With these problems also came a whirlwind of other health concerns - acne, insomnia, depression, low self-esteem, poor memory and concentration, etc. etc. Basically - the 19-year-old me was diagnosed with estrogen deficiency... a.k.a. my estrogen levels were comparable to, if not lower than, those of a woman in menopause... yippey.

 My doctor put me on birth control pill. Surprised? Not really. That seems to be the "go-to" protocol for treating hormonal imbalances in young women. Unfortunately, while relieving the symptoms, the pill doesn't necessarily fix the underlying problem. That really bothered and concerned me, and that's when I became more interested than ever before in more natural approach to health and healing. Around the same time, Alicia Silverstone published The Kind Diet, which truly revolutionized my views on... everything actually. Unhappy with the way I felt on the pill, I eventually decided to go off the pill to hopefully heal myself through changes in diet and lifestyle. I became a devout yogi and vegetarian, and seemed to finally feel... whole. I finally felt at peace, happy... Everything about my "kind life" felt wonderful and right...

But three years had gone by, and my hormone problems have not resolved... I felt sad, frustrated, and somewhat defeated... Defeated because I felt that I have done everything within my ability to make things right in my life... Frustrated because I couldn't understand why veganism has helped so many women with similar circumstances, but couldn't help me. Thankfully, I have also discovered a new way of looking at this journey of mine - that it has indeed been a journey of learning and understanding what my body needs. Each body is different, and because of that, our health needs may be different. One seemingly healthy diet does not fit all.

So why eat meat again? I'm not certain it will help, but I feel that I need to try... The only time I remember my hormones behaving appropriately was when I followed what in retrospect resembled a paleo lifestyle - my meals centered around lean protein and lots of vegetables and limited sugar. Of course, this was before I became fully aware of factory farming and environmental concerns, and so I will not be going back to those dark days. Instead, I will continue to be a conscientious consumer, this time by consuming organic, natural, grass-fed, and as humanely raised animal products as often as possible. I will also continue to wholeheartedly indulge in my love for vegetarian cuisine. This love will never change. And as always, I will continue to exercise whenever I can, especially when I feel my body and mind craving it. In other words - I will listen to what my body needs... because I only have one body and one life to live, and I have to make the decisions that are right not only for the animals and the environment, but also for myself.

So here is yet another start to a new journey... or perhaps it's simply a continuation of the same good ole' journey of mine - a journey to health and happiness and a peace of mind, through  yet again newly defined lifestyle.

*****

And as always, let's recap today's eats!

Breakfast featured overnight greek yogurt oats!

Overnight: Blueberry Chobani (in recognition of current giveaway!!! :) ) + 1 tsp chia + 1/4 cup water --> in the fridge overnight!

Morning: Reheated on low heat (I was in the mood for a warm bowl of yogurt oats); add water if too thick (chia will do that!)

I added a cup of mixed cereals and granola for crunch and extra fiber.

Now that's what I call a balanced balanced - all the macromolecules in one! Healthy fats, protein, and carbs!

*****

Lunch included huge bowl of mushroom soup (made with barley and potatoes)

Wasa crispbread with red pepper zucchini spread.

And sauteed sour kraut with grass fed beef.

I then had a clinical off-site in the afternoon at an internist office, which was so great! The doctor is actually Russian and I got to see half a dozen Russian patients with her! Exciting diagnoses included aortic regurgitation (I got to hear the heart murmur for the first time - this is very exciting for any medical student) and gout.

In between off-site and an evening meeting, I stopped home for a coffee break. The break inadvertently became a real treat! Grandma surprised me with crepes and smoked salmon! SO GOOD.

*****

Hours later, I came home and had a huge bowl of salad and a couple slices of our infamous homemade ketchup-topped pizza. If only it sounded as amazing as it tasted. :)

And that's it, folks! If you got to reading this part - thank you for taking the time to listen to my rambling and reflections. I hope you can support my journey and join me along the way here at My Eats & Treats.

Runnyolks

I may have officially started a weekend tradition! Last week's Happyolks have become an official treat, and I decided to make them again today for my grandma and me. The first time I made them, they looked like eggs and bread scrambled together... but it looks like I'm finally getting the hang of it! Aren't they beautiful?

Whole grain for moi. White bread for grandma.

As soon as I got our Happyolks off the skillet, we dug in!

I love the runny yolk! Hmm, shall I name this morning's treat Runnyolks? Methinks yes! And local farm fresh organic eggs are a gazillion times more delicious (and more nutritious!!!) than the store bought ones. They are not expensive, and the taste and your support of local farmers is worth so much more than the some-cent-difference.

And so, thank you, Runnyolks, for making my Saturday a happy and bright one! (Yellow is my favorite color, by the way!)

I highly recommend these beauties with grated cheese or a soft cheese on top! SO GOOD!

Have a wonderful Saturday!

♥ V.

Going wild?

I first learned (or rather, became aware of) about factory farming in college, when an animal rights group on campus displayed the many horrific images of tortured animals in cages, crowded, uncared for, and mistreated. I remember crying and feeling sick to my stomach, and I couldn't look at meat for a while. I went vegan cold-turkey. But the problem was, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't keep track of nutrients and vitamins, and it wasn't long before my health started to suffer. Anemia. Fatigue. Poor concentration. At a time when low-carb, low-fat, low-everything was "the way" to live, I didn't know anything about the importance of eating healthy fats and healthy grains. So yes, I lived off of salads and tofu... While my soul was at peace, my body wasn't doing so well...

When I came home, my mom immediately became worried, and pleaded me to "give up the vegan non-sense." After hours of arguing and crying, I agreed that something wasn't right, and I had to re-evaluate my eating habits. But I soon realized that once you are aware, it's impossible to go back to the ignorant days... The images in your head and the knot in your throat stay with you forever...

Since college, I've gone through vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and a little-bit-of-everything-arian days -- lifestyles that changed mainly to accommodate new different living environments and circumstances. But I never stopped being aware. I believe there has got to be a way to be happy and healthy and wise and aware of the dietary choices you make. And these choices should take into account your well-being of you, as well as that of animals and our earth. Only then will there be zen, peace, understanding, balance. The problem I ran into during college is I took the me part out of that equation. I started caring only about animals and the earth we live on.

Since those college days, I'm still trying to find the right place for myself. Every day I try to become more aware. I research. I read. I ask. I learn. I try. That's the only way to avoid living an ignorant life.

Since moving home, I've begun to occasionally eat seafood because my mom makes a lot of effort to buy sustainable and ethical products. She knows how much it means to me, and she goes out of her way to do that for me. She worries that I'll once again become salad-eating-Veronica. And I appreciate that. A lot.

Earlier in the fall, my mom made a one-hour trip to Burningheart Farm, where farm animals are treated humanely. They truly do range freely and eat organic feed. We discovered this farm through Eat Wild New Jersey. At that time, I wasn't ready to try eating meat again. I hadn't eaten it in years and it still didn't feel right. But I was truly grateful for the labor and love that the owners invested into their farm... If only there were more farms like that...

Tonight, my grandma defrosted some of the chicken that my mom had bought at that time. She prepared one of my childhood favorite meals - braised potatoes with chicken. Knowing how much love she put into making this meal, and appreciating that this chicken lived a good life, I decided to have a piece. This meal was a great learning lesson for me. I learned that my vegetarian journey taught me to practice conscientious eating. And that, I think, is the major difference that separates people like me from those who eat rare steaks and drink gallons of milk simply because that's how they were raised. Without thinking. Without questioning.

The meal was delicious. But I don't think I can ever consider myself a carnivore. My obsession with veggies, the earth, and its earthlings is too big. Perhaps on occasion, I'll have some meat or poultry, but only when I know where it came from and that it was made with great effort and love...

Tonight's dessert featured one of my favorite citrus fruits - a sweetie! So so good!





...sorry for rambling... I just needed to let these thoughts and feelings out... Please feel free to share your own. Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read this.

And yes, the giveaway is still waiting for you to enter!

♥ V.