My idea of healthy eating for anyone (vegan, vegetarian, everyone)

Eating Guide:

Breakfast:
Pure water, tea or coffee (no cream or sugar! Use honey or sweetener if you must have it)
Fruit only (shouldn't be hard considering you usually probably don't eat anything for breakfast)

More options & Weekend breaky:
Hard boiled egg, omelets (filled with veggies!), or porridge (but make your owe!) 1/2 whole wheat toast with peanut butter.

Lunch:

Salads (no creamy dressing or use no fat)
Soups (stay away from creamy, and sides of buns/rolls)
1/2 sandwiches (filled with MOSTLY veggies! Stay away from mayo)

Weekend lunches:

Stay away from sides like potatoes of any kind... FRENCH fries!! Don't be tricked by Sweet potato fries...

Dinner and weekend dinners:
Just remember how your plate should look. 1/2 plate add veggies/ salads/ greens (does not include potatoes)
1/4 plate add protein (meat, lentils)
1/4 grains/carbs (pasta, rice, potatoes)

Snacks:
Nuts, seaweed, rice crackers, cheese, boiled egg, veggies

Drinks:
Water, plain teas

Weekend drinks:
Diet pop to mix with alcohol or sparkling water, light beer
Stay away from fruity mixed drinks!

**not for growing children, eat often, NEVER GO HUNGRY!!**more option available this is brief, get creative and keep your plate COLORFUL!)

This is my guide to loosing weight I am not a nutritionist. More carbohydrates and energy foods MUST be added if your exercising. Think balance, don't just pick out the carb options from each category!

GOOD options:
Breakfast: banana, boiled egg, plain tea
Lunch: miso soup, salads with veggies
Snacks: any if the above
Dinner: 1/2 plate steamed spinach and brocoli, 1/4 plate roast potatoes, 1/4 plate grilled chicken

BAD options;
Breakfast: toast and fried eggs
Lunch: sandwich and cream bacon soup
Dinner: plate of creamy chicken pasta
Snacks: only crackers

Adventurously Vegan (hmmmm maybe a new blog... We'll see)

Being a mom, student, wife, and life seeker I've decided it was time to really educate myself on nutrition. Now don't get me wrong I have always been a fan of the wonderful world of nutrition but it was time to travel further down the rabbit hole.

After having my daughter I wanted to take informed action as too what I was putting in both myself and daughters mouths. After some fads later (and I get this could just be another) but I decided to give the healthy life style of being vegan a chance.

First I'd like to say that I know if your not eating a well BALANCED diet being vegan, much like other diets, can be rather unhealthy. And secondly I would like to add though I agree that how our "farmed" animals are being treated is disgusting, this unfortunately has little to do the animals as I still and always will eat animal products of some sorts. Genetically processed, hormone pumped, steroid infected animals locked in "barns" which are actually dark prisons where our animals get no light and just as little exercise is a whole new topic on its own.

I feel that it could be very beneficial for any family to eat vegan even if just a couple nights a weeks, to not only just start your diet full of vegetables and other 'back burner' foods but also give those suppose "farmers" a good slap to the face! I decided to slowly transition to a couple nights slowly and now I am a whooping 5/7 nights vegan. So far not much weight has come off but I've only just started so I am willing to be patient.

So wish me luck and try a favorite dish.

Indonesian stir fry:

1/2 cup basmati/brown rice
1/2 cup green cabbage
1/4 cup red cabbage
Small handful of cherry tomatoes
Garlic/ onion/ green onion
Pumpkin seeds/ sunflower seeds/ flax seeds
Olive oil
Salt/ pepper
Epicure Indonesian spice (or Asian five spice but then you have to change the name lol)

*try and stick to organic as best as you can afford*

And keep in mind why it's in YOUR best interest to educate yourself on the crap in your food: parasites, worms, bacteria, steroids, antibiotics, processed (causing cancers/ other health issues) food dyes (causing ADD/ADHD *CHEDDAR IS NOT ORANGE PEOPLE*)

Very proud!

While still lacking the train of thought required to actually putting words down on paper, I am happy to report someone else is. My cousin Christina has started her first novel and though it may be only a hobby I must say she has done quite well. I asked her for a copy of what she had so far, and I was to say the least, blown away! Maybe if I ask her nicely I can put a sample on my blog : ) Maybe the more she puts out great work the more inspired I will be to write again.

New is in the air!

So painfully I have had to put my love affair with my book on hold but it was due to the new addition to our family! And since I have also started a new love affair… COUPONING!! So while I get re acquainted with my story I started a second blog called Adventurously Couponing!! Please check it out and share some feedback and finds : )

How the idea came up..

The story I am currently working on has no title. The whole inspiration for this story came to me while dropping my sister off at the grey hound station.
I was helping her with her luggage when a guy came off the bus with a long black jacket and a large tattoo peeking out of his collar. I know it seems crazy that almost 8 chapters later came from just that, but its true. I didn’t even catch his name.

Part of Chapter 2 (part 2)

I practically ran so I wouldn’t keep anyone waiting. But when I came through the door and only seen Jake sitting there, I instantly felt insecure.
He looked at me with these strange eyes, and when I sat down he said what I thought would be rude of anyone to ask.
“So what happened to Travis?” as he sipped his beer.
My face went every shade of red and I felt stupid once again.
“I don’t know, he said that you were going to meet us here” and I rolled my eyes.
I didn’t mean to roll my eyes and I felt bad as soon as it happened. Though I found him to be rude, it was not like me to be that way.
“Well are you hungry” cold distance in his voice.
“Ya a little, you?” he looked very uncomfortable.
“Ya uh, maybe we should just go back” he said as he avoided eye contact.
That was it, my emotions were written all over my face. Angry, embarrassed, feeling stupid. I just took a deep breath and replied
“sure lets go” I surrendered.
I wasn’t going to be a waste of this guys time any longer.
As I started to get up he put his arm out to me
“Wait, wait” he said hailing the server.
"Una cerveza, por favor."
And the little Mexican server gave back a nod. I looked at him confused and sat a moment when the girl placed a beer in front of me.
“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be rude, I just wasn’t sure if you still wanted to stay”
He saved the moment. My face came back to a normal colour and I didn’t feel so much like screaming anymore. I guess he thought since Travis wasn’t here I didn’t want to be either. But I did want to be there. Jake was this mystery that I did and didn’t want to figure out. Like always, my curiosity gets the best of me.

Part of chapter 2 'The Warmth of Mexico'

He was just starring off into space, someplace peaceful where his face made no expression. The only thing that moved was his hand lifting the beer to his mouth. I wondered what was going on in that head of his. So cold yet warm and loving was this mysterious boy. Travis of course had one eye on his at all times. Laughing at his own jokes with one slit second to look over at Jake. And then a re-assuring smile at me.
My lower back was getting sore from sitting in this one spot not moving like a zombie. Without trying to bring to much attention to myself I slipped out of my chair and put my arms behind my back to stretch. I pulled my hands down to pull on my shoulders, and moved my neck to each side.
As I adjusted my hair to a pony tail I looked around the bar. My stretch was successfully discreet to all as my eyes inspected the room, except to one. As I sat back down in my chair Jake was starring right at me. Still, no expression just the stoned look right into my eyes. I felt him everywhere, in the air in my skin, staring yet guarding.
My heart felt like it had been startled and jumped out of my chest. Those eyes so sexy and dangerous.