The Big Reveal

Happy Friday, friends! I hope you are gearing up for a fun, happy, healthy, rejuvenating weekend.

Yesterday, I asked the folks on my facebook page (and also on twitter) if they would be interested in seeing a "before" photo of me. (As some of you know, I used to be 55 pounds overweight - quite a lot for this shorty pants.) Usually, when I tell people this, they say "What? I can't imagine you like that!" Well, it's true. I spent most of my twenties as an overweight vegan, and was actually obese for many of those years as well.

It's funny - many people think that just by being a vegan, you'll automatically be thin. However, this was obviously not the case for me! I've written about the underlying reasons why I became overweight in my first book, Radiant Health, Inner Wealth, but suffice it to say that it was a combination of things that led to my unhealthy state. Overeating, making poor choices, lack of exercise, and a lack of understanding of balanced eating was what did it for me. I remember one day eating Chinese takeout for lunch (cashew tofu with white rice, veggie wontons, and vegan egg rolls) and then getting more takeout for dinner - a white baguette sandwich slathered in vegan mayo, with french fries and onion rings on the side. Oh, and I'm sure chocolate was involved at some point in the evening as well. This is not healthy eating, my friends.

However, I am extremely grateful for those years now, as I look back. If I hadn't been so unhealthy, I would have never learned how to make things right. I look at all of my "mistakes" as gifts that have led me to the understanding I have now. It took me many years to figure out how to maintain a healthy weight (and do so whilst not feeling deprived of deliciousness!), but I got r done.

And now, through the struggles and shame of my obesity, I finally have the understanding and compassion that give me the ability to help others with the same thing. In my new book, I have a two-week program that works incredibly well to help people drop weight quickly and safely - all while enjoying yummy, satisfying foods. I am honestly so thankful to be able to share this now and help others, and I could have never done it without going through my own struggles!

So, moral of the story? Honor where you are and know that everything has its purpose. Oh, and other moral of the story? It is possible to transform yourself...and maintain that transformation for the long haul - all while enjoying your lifestyle and feeling satisfied, not deprived!

OK, so enough of the chit-chat...you wanna see the picture I dug up? I was at my grandma's house this summer and finally came across one of the pictures from about 14 years ago when I was at my highest weight (about 170 lbs.). I was about 25 years old in this picture (and no, I'm not the one in the white shirt - that's me on the right in the red sweater):

Sorry that I don't have a full body shot for an "after" photo, but here's one at least that's not just my head! Here's me at age 39 doing a healthy food demonstration at Nature's Oasis in Durango, Colorado:

Well, thanks so much for joining me for the big reveal, friends! And please, please keep sending me your success stories - they make my day!!!

xoxoxo

tess

Sexy Mexi Salad

So, this is pretty much my new favorite staple these days. I am very excited about it for several reasons:

* It's a great way to get in lots n lots of veggies, fiber, and nutrients in one fell swoop!
* It will totally fill you up - but with very few calories! And it will keep you going for a long time. Yeah!
* For those of you on my two-week wellness plan, you'll love it! It's "green" and you'll basically fulfill your entire day's veggie requirement just by eating this (if you eat the whole thing yourself like I do, that is)
* It's eaaaaasy. And yummy. You do the math on that one.
* It uses lots of fresh produce items that are in season right now. And what could make for a happier meal than that? Ronald McDonald, say your prayers.

So, without further silliness, here it is....

Sexy Mexi Salad

Crunchy Topping (optional, but fun):
* One small handful of "Guiltless Gourmet" baked chili-lime chips (or other organic low-fat corn chips)
OR
* 1-2 sprouted corn tortillas (If using these, do the following: Cut into 1/2-inch strips, place in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and brush lightly with coconut or olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh lime juice, chili powder, and garlic granules. Bake at 350 F until lightly browned and crisp, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.)

Sexy Salad:
* One Romaine lettuce heart (about 3 cups of chopped lettuce)
* One ear of corn, kernels removed (no need to cook if fresh and tender)
* 1/3 cup chopped red onion or scallions (green onions)
* 1/2 cup grape tomatoes

Stir-fry:
* 1 teaspoon coconut oil
* 2 medium zucchinis or yellow summer squash, diced
* Seasoned salt and black pepper
* 1/2 cup black beans, cooked and drained

Final Fling:
* Fresh salsa to taste, your favorite brand (I buy mine from a locally owned Mexican restaurant - it's the best I've ever tasted! Very fresh, spicy, and tangy.)
* Optional: 2 tablespoons vegan sour cream or 1/4 avocado, diced

1. To begin, prepare the crunchy topping (if using) and set aside.
2. Place all of the salad items in a very large bowl and set aside.
3. Set a stir-fry pan or wok over medium-high heat and add the teaspoon of coconut oil. Add the zucchini and seasoned salt and pepper to taste. Stir-fry, stirring often, until the zucchini is tender. Add the beans and stir-fry gently, just until heated through. Remove from heat and place on top of the salad.
4. Toss the salad gently and generously with salsa and add the crunchy topping. Finally, top with vegan sour cream or avocado, if using. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Serves 1-2/Green (According to the health guidelines in my books)/SF (Soy-Free without vegan sour cream)/GF (Gluten-Free)
30 Minutes or Under!

Two-Week Wellness Update & My Lastest Acronym

Good morning, friends! Oh wait, is it afternoon already? I guess this day is flying by! Well, I wanted to give you an update on how things are going with my two-week plan. I began about a week ago and noticed a big difference in my health after only two days. In fact, I weighed myself two days ago and found I was 5 lbs. lighter than I thought I was! So, I've been a little less strict as I'm basically at my ideal weight.

What I'm doing now is an acronym I like to call "ABLE." For those of you who are familiar with my books, you know I love me a good acronym. Well, this one is working great for me right now, and I shall explain:

A: Aim for the two-week wellness principles. This means that I try to get as close as I can to my two-week plan every day. Some days I might eat a "purple" item or two "blue" items, but that's o.k. as I am currently pretty happy with my state of health. Plus, I've been exercising. A lot. So, in general, I try to emphasize "green" foods, eat lots of veggies, and start my mornings off with lemon water and fresh fruit. I'm loving it!

B: Balance the rest. For me, this is so important. I spent many years 50 lbs. overweight because I did not understand the oh-so simple concept of balance. Back in the day, if I ever ate anything "bad" (such as a vegan donut, per say), I would then proceed to go all-out with french fries, white bread, and other vegan junk foods. My thought was "I've been bad, so I might as well continue to be bad until I'm perfect tomorrow." Yeah, that didn't work. As we all know, the "perfect" tomorrow can be pretty evasive.

These days, I know that it's o.k. to eat less-than-ideal foods once in a while, as long as they are kept to a minimum and balanced out. For example, if I eat some vegan chocolate pie for lunch, I will make sure to surround it with very healthy choices the rest of the day - as well as exercise. Balance. It's what's for dinner.

L: Lighten up. Eat LESS. Leave room in your stomach at all times. Only eat until #3 of the hunger and fullness gauge (a tool from my books), or just until you are satisfied. There is never a need to overeat, and food never truly tastes good when your body isn't hungry.

E: Exercise. This one is self-explanatory, but I will say this: Try to fit in some cardio, strength training, and stretching each week. They all work together for you best health. Also, I've found that stretching is a very important counterpoint to both strength training and cardiovascular exercise. Be sure to stretch before and after both kinds of exercise - it will help your health significantly and decrease any risk for injury and damage.

So, what did I eat today? What was I "ABLE" to eat? Oh Tess, lay off the bad jokes. Sheesh.

Breakfast:
Lemon water
Fruit salad (fresh blueberries and a chopped organic peach)

Lunch:
Quinoa fritters (a recipe I just developed for my upcoming kid's book: basically quinoa and spices held together with a flax "egg", or "flegg" as I call it in my books)
Large green salad with lots of fun, happy things in it (artichokes = bliss)

For the rest of the day, I plan to eat (and yes, I'm that big of a nerd...I plan my meals):
Corn on the cob (locally grown, woot!)
Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls (using a locally grown bean sprout score)
Easy Indian Mung Beans (I heart my pressure cooker)
Roasted vegetables with garlic and rosemary

Thanks for stopping by, friends! Have a happy, healthy afternoon...and I will keep posting my food days as I can. It's fun for me too!!
xoxo

Low-Fat Basil Garlic Linguine

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Here's one of the reasons my two-week weight loss plan/detox works so well...you gets to eats stuff like this! This all-time favorite recipe is from my newest book, The Two-Week Wellness Solution: The Fast Track to Permanent Weight Loss and Vitality. It's quick, simple, light, and DELISH.

Hope you enjoy!

p.s. I'll be back to blogging about my two-week program soon!

Photo by Michelle McCluggage





Low-Fat Basil Garlic Linguine

Don’t let the title fool you—this dish is more than a calorie saver. It’s extremely delicious, flavorful, and satisfying as well! Plus, the uncooked sauce makes it very fresh and a snap to prepare. Enjoy the love.



• 8 oz. whole grain linguine (or whole grain gluten-free pasta if you are gluten intolerant)

Sublime Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon each: olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes, lightly drained
• 4-5 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• ¼ cup (packed) fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste (I use about ½ teaspoon)


1. Begin cooking the linguine according to the directions on the package.

2. While the noodles are cooking, you can place the ingredients for the sauce in a large bowl. You can. . . and you will.

3. When the linguine is al dente, drain and toss with the sauce. Serve immediately. All right!

Serves 4/GF (with substitution)/SF/Blue/30 minutes or under!

Day Four

Hey lovelies! Well it's day four (as the title of this post may indicate) and here be the goods:

For breakfast, I had the usual (lemon water) and the best mango. Ever.
Mid-morning, I had a nice bowl of blueberries. Gotta love blueberries - they just radiate vibrant health!!

Lunchies? This:

"Perfect Tabouli" (left, recipe here)

More store-bought kim-chee along with some celery...overall, this meal fulfilled about half of the day's veggie requirement!









Mid-afternoon, I had:

These were a sort of Mexican pizza tostada thingy. Basically, I started with sprouted grain corn tortillas that I had baked. I topped them with kidney beans, a little daiya vegan cheese, jalapenos, kalamata olives, and sliced onions. Then, I baked them for about 15 minutes at 350 F.
YUM.

Later, I had a "Rawberry Starbar" as a yummy, healthy dessert.




Dinner? A bowl of "Lickety Split Pea Soup" and some garlic-roasted cauliflower. Life is good! :)

Day Three

Greetings, friends! I hope your weekend has been lots of fun so far. As you may know, I am doing the two-week plan from my newest book, The Two-Week Wellness Solution. Today is day three and I'm feeling so much better already! Here is what I've noticed so far after just these few days on the plan:

     * I wake up without puffy eyes. Honestly, I look much better when I wake up in the morning - better skin tone, un-puffy eyes, and brighter eyes as well.
     * More muscle tone. By nature, I am a "mesomorph" (sp?) which means that I have a fairly muscular build. So, it's relatively easy for me to put on muscle. But I really do notice it more when my eating is ideal too. This morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much more muscle definition my legs have than just a few days ago. Shallow win for me!
     * Less need for excess sleep. I seem to be functioning much better on less sleep.
     * Less body fat, a clearer head, and more enjoyment of what I'm eating.

OK, that's enough stats for now! I'll report more in a few days. So, on with the food! Here's what I ate today...

Breakfast:
"Gimme the usual, bartender!" That would be lemon water in my case. Kind of boring after a while, but I wouldn't trade it for the world! Such a great start to the day.
Next, I had some cantelope. In a bowl. With a fork.

Lunch:
This:

What is this exactly? 'Tis (clockwise from left):
* A tossed salad (lettuce, purple cabbage, and sliced onions) with lowfat vinaigrette
* Kim chee (store-bought but good!)
* Tempeh sandwich ("Lemon Tempeh Burger" on sprouted, toasted whole grain bread).

After this, I also had a cup of fresh blueberries. I now have a ginormous box of them. I cannot be expected to resist a sale on fruit.








For my mid-afternoon meal, I had another one of those yummy "Illegal Pizzas" on a sprouted grain tortilla along with a huge bowl of roasted vegetables, which fulfilled my veggie requirement for the day. Woot!
Here's some TMI for the veggies:

First, I measured out four cups of veggies. Asparagus and zucchini, to be exact.















Then, I spread them out on a cookie sheet along with a large handfull of sliced onions, a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, some seasoned salt, ground pepper, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and some garlic.

After baking them at 400 F until nicely browned, they turned out delicious. Here they are, all cozy in a bowl.

So, onward with the daily food log...

For dinner, I'm having some tomato soup. I'm not very hungry, so I think just that will do it. Overall today, I had two servings (cups) of fresh fruit and about 7 servings (cups) of veggies. Feeling fine and ready for day four. Thanks again for checking in! xo

Day Two

Happy weekend, everyone! Hope you are all enjoying it so far.

Today is day two of the Two-Week Wellness Solution for me. Although I usually try to follow the principles in general, I had gotten off track a bit while traveling. It feels so great to be back in my own kitchen, making healthy meals that really nurture me and renew my best health.

So, here is the scoop for today:

Breakfast:
Lemon water and a fresh mango

Mid-morning:
I was about to go the the gym for some serious exercise, so I wanted to make sure I didn't get too hungry. I had a slice of toasted sprouted grain bread (Ezekiel 4:9 sesame) topped with a little sunflower butter and strawberry jam. It was perfect.

Lunch:
Some "Cucumber-Dill Toss"
Two Fresh Thai Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce (which accounted for at least one serving of veggies, probably two)
A tempeh burger. This was freakishly satisfying! I used some gorgeous wild rice tempeh and marinated it in lemon juice, tamari, garlic, and onion granules. Then, I pan-fried it in a teaspoon of coconut oil. I served it on sprouted grain bread (Ezekiel again!) with lowfat vegan mayo (Vegenaise yellow label), mustard, sliced onions and pickles, and lettuce. Seriously delish. (This is basically my "Lemon Tempeh Burgers" recipe from RHIW)

Mid-afternoon:
I felt snacky, so I popped 1/3 cup of organic popcorn kernels in a tablespoon of coconut oil and added a bit of sea salt. Totally hit the spot! I added a bit of habanero sauce (hey, kicks up the immune system and raises the metabolism!) and nutritional yeast to it too.
Kombucha (the last of my current homemade batch) mixed with sparkling water
Carrots

Dinner:
Tonight was a celebration for a good friend's 40th birthday and ended up being a six-hour long French dinner! She has always wanted to go to Paris, so some of her friends decided to bring Paris to her this year. The table was breathtakingly beautiful and the company was fantastic...but French food isn't exactly vegan, let alone healthy! That was fine though, as I was able to munch the following and basically stay on track:

Crudites (raw vegetables)
Organic green salad
Two olives stuffed with garlic cloves
Two figs and some beautiful fresh berries
A walnut and some grapes

And I feel very great that I was able to pass up the French bread that was being served with herbed olive oil. It looked delicious but I want to stick with the plan and avoid things that get in the way of my optimum wellness - white bread being one of them! To me, it feels like glue in my system. So, yay! I feel great and am excited for day 3 tomorrow. G'nite, sweet peas!

Friday's Fun Foods

Hey friends! Well, I gotsta start with a confession. Although I started the 2-week wellness solution a few days ago, yesterday was my birthday. Which meant that, yes, I fell of the wagon with some chocolate chip cookies ("Mary's Gone Crackers" brand - quite good!) and vegan nachos. Not exactly on the plan! But, today I am back and bolder than ever. So, I'm counting this as the "new" day one!

Also, I have some exciting news for those of you who are interested in the two-week plan. My lovely intern Jessica is going to put together a blog just for that! So, I'll keep you posted and let you know once it's all finished. What would I do without her??

So, here's today's munchies:
Breakfast:
Lemon water (I use a whole lemon) and a mango.
Mid-morning:
6 Mary's Gone Crackers onion crackers
Lunch:
Tomato-Basil Toss (just grape tomatoes, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and a pinch of sea salt)
Leftover raw kale (2 cups worth)
Bean burrito (a sprouted grain tortilla filled with kidney beans, tomatoes, jalapenos, salsa, and a little vegan cheddar cheese)
Mid-afternoon meal (3 p.m.):

This. Please ignore the sorry photograph and instead tune into the deliciousness.
These are "Fresh Thai Spring Rolls" with peanut sauce. I stuffed them with red cabbage, carrots, mint, basil, cilantro, lettuce, and scallions.

Also at 3 p.m., I had some "Perfect Tabouli." The recipe is here on my blog.          

For dinner, it's "Cucumber-Dill Toss" and some "Lickety Split Pea Soup." I might have a little kim chee too.
Day one down, and I'll see you cuties here tomorrow! Peas out.

Wednesday's Eats

So, it's blatantly obvious that I'm no food photographer. I think it's my camera's fault. Or maybe I just don't understand lighting. Anyhoo...thank Goodness I had the lovely Michelle McCluggage and Olga Vasiljeva to take the food photographs for both of my books! My heroes.

O.K...on with the topic at hand. Enough monkey business. Today, I took a few food photographs of what I ate for what was technically day 1 of my two-week plan.

For breakfast, I had lemon water, "Green Radiance" (mixed with water) and some blueberries.

Then, for lunch, I had the concoction you see above. First, I ate the kale dish that's on the left. It's a throw-together (less good, honestly!) version of "Raw Catalonian Kale" from The Two-Week Wellness Solution. But, hey, I used some items I had on hand like Greek olives and scallions. Then, I made tostada shells with sprouted grain corn tortillas and topped one with some kidney beans, guacamole, tomatoes, scallions, and roasted tomatillo salsa. YUM. On the side is just some store-bought kim chee and fermented sauerkraut ("Rejuvenative Foods" brand). Without as much kombucha on hand, I'm trying to sneak a few fermented foods into my diet to keep up the happy tummy action.

So, for the 3 p.m. meal, I started off with:

So, this was basically scrumptious. The picture looks bizarre and gross, but oh my it hit the spot! I cut up a head of Romaine lettuce and topped it with sliced onions, marinated, sliced beets (that I had pickled myself), a tablespoon of walnuts, and a drizzle of "Maple Dijon" dressing.

Oooh baby.






Then, I had this bad boy:

Luckily, I'm still a free woman. No sirens went off when I made "Illegal Pizza" from Radiant Health, Inner Wealth.

It's simply a sprouted grain tortilla topped with organic pasta sauce, vegan cheese (cheddar Daiya), onions, and basil. Simple but yummy!

I was still hungry after this, and ended up eating another two sprouted corn tortillas dipped in some spicy salsa (and a bit of organic guacamole too). No need to go hungry on this program!! :-)


For dinner, I plan to have some roasted vegetables...and if I'm still hungry, some "Five-Minute Five-Bean Salad." And all day, I've been doing my best to keep up on my water intake as well. Day one of the Two-Week Program = Success! I feel great and am ready for some exercise and a nice evening. Ahhh.

Monday Munchies

Greetings, friends! As promised, I'm making an effort to keep up with my blog more regularly, especially now that I'm back from my book tour and travels. Gotta say, it is SO nice to be home! I can actually concoct a dish and know that just the right tools are on hand - and I even know right where they are!

So, today was mostly about groceries and planning. As I'll be starting my two-week wellness plan tomorrow, I wanted to make sure I'd be all set up for it. Nothing makes for success like some foresight and planning! So, my grocery cart today was filled with tons of organic produce such as raspberries, blueberries, mangoes, lemons, garlic, ginger, zucchini, asparagus, kale, limes, yellow squash, onions, scallions, Romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, basil, asparagus, and red (purple, really) cabbage. That might seem like a lot for one person, but it's an incentive to load up on the good stuff! I hate wasting food, so I'll be plowing through those high-fiber, antioxidant-rich items like a mad woman.


What am I planning on making this week with all that, you ask? 
Here's what's on my menu for the week:
*"Illegal Pizza" (From RHIW and made with sprouted grain tortillas)
*"Perfect Tabouli" (recipe on this blog - SO good! If I do say so, that is.)
*Cucumber-Mint-Lemon-Ginger Iced Water (not a food, but I'm very excited. Very. Yes, I'm a nerd.)
*Fresh Thai Spring Rolls
*"Almost Raw Asian Kale" (From TWWS)
*Roasted asparagus (simply toss asparagus with a teaspoon of olive oil, some garlic, and seasoned salt - then, bake until browned. Candy.)
*Zucchini wraps and "Anna's Zucchini" (From RHIW)
*Some sort of quinoa dish. Maybe Moroccan.
*"Tess's Happy Salad" (from TWWS)
*Bean tostadas (made with sprouted corn tortillas - found in the freezer section of health food stores)
*Tempeh somethings (Wraps? Fajitas? I have no idea. But I have some mighty sexy wild rice tempeh on hand waiting to inspire me)
*Jalapeno-Green Chili Quesadillas (Made with Daiya vegan cheese. Yes, I'm spicy.)
*Mango smoothies (Mangoes were on sale today - three for $1!! Seriously, can you believe that?! I bought nine and consequently had a conversation with the cashier about what you actually do with mangoes.)
*Mango-berry fruit salads (and a very good morning to me)
*"Easy Indian Mung Beans" (I'm into them lately, they're from RHIW)

So that's my food plan for the week, give or take a dish or two. Today, I was so busy getting caught up at home and on book orders after being gone so long that I didn't eat until almost 3 p.m.! Bad me. But, I actually felt/feel fine. Maybe my system needed a little break after eating out yesterday. I feel pretty good now - I had a sprouted grain quesadilla with beans and green chilies and a nice huge bowl of roasted veggies (yellow squash and asparagus). I was also craving berries so I polished off the organic raspberries I bought. I also enjoyed a homemade kombucha, mixed with some black cherry seltzer. Good times. So, not the most balanced day today, but I feel pretty good and am excited to cleanse and rejuvenate with my two-week plan starting tomorrow. Life is good!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll check in again very soon.
xoxo

The journal begins...

Greetings, friends! Long time no blog, eh? Sorry about that! I've been so very busy on my road trip/book tour, but it's finally winding down. Today, I'm in Denver and tonight I will finally (finally!) be back home in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

So, yesterday I had a thought which I shared on Facebook. I was wondering if you might find it helpful for me to blog about what I eat each day. After lots of great responses, I've decided to do just that. As I grow older (I'll be 39 next week), I find that I just want to be my healthiest self ever. It just gets easier and easier to make healthy choices and avoid many of the old foods I used to crave (such as vegan chocolate cake, etc.). I'm not sure why this is especially true at this point in my life, but I'm going with it and love it!

Now, before you think I'm some kind of perfectionist, I will say this: As someone who used to be 50 lbs. overweight, I've found that it's all about the balance. For example, today, I'm going to stop by my one of my all-time favorite restaurants, Watercourse. I love it because anything on the menu can be made vegan (!) and it's totally utterly delish. So, today I may be a bit more indulgent. But, since I normally eat at home, this splurge can be balanced out. Plus, I'm gearing up to begin my two-week health program on Tuesday. For those of you not familiar with it, it's featured in my newest book, The Two-Week Wellness Solution (The Fast Track To Permanent Weight Loss and Vitality). I won't go into details here, but it's a program that helps you cleanse, get optimally healthy, and drop any extra weight very quickly - all while eating yummy food. Yay!

So for now, I's is gonna take it easy today and enjoy some Watercourse yumminess while I drive the 300 miles back home. Then, tomorrow will be a planning and shopping day to prepare for beginning my program on Tuesday.

So friends, I'm hoping that blogging my daily food intake will give you ideas, inspire you in some way, and serve as a reminder that being healthy is also about enjoying great food. Keep giving me your fantastic, helpful feedback too - I always love hearing from you!
Enjoy and be well!

So, to kick things off, I'm going to blog yesterday's eats:
Yesterday, I drove from Madison, Wisconsin to Denver, Colorado. It's about 1000 miles. I packed my cooler with lots of stuff, but didn't have quite enough.....

*I started driving at 5 a.m. and munched on a bag of organic Rainier cherries. Yum! Sorry about all the cherry pits and stems along interstate 90.
*To stay hydrated, I drank some Metro Mint water and several other flavored waters. Sure, they're just fancy water, but they kept me entertained on the long drive and didn't have any junk or extra calories.
*I had purchased several items from a co-op in Madison on Friday. During the day, I munched on: Roasted beet salad, sesame tofu, and edamame salad. Oh, the edamame salad!! Here's what was in it: Roasted edamame, whole roasted garlic cloves, Greek green olives, oregano, lemon juice, and olive oil. Yummy, healthy, and unusual!
*I also munched on some hummus and crackers. I tried to buy the healthiest crackers I could find, which were "Mary's Gone Crackers." I love them. They have all kinds of organic whole grains in them, including amaranth and quinoa. So healthy!
*Despite my best efforts, I found that by 4 p.m. I was super hungry. Being in Nebraska (and past any vegetarian restaurants and health food stores), I did something I haven't done in about a year. I ate fast food! Well, it wasn't horrible at least. I got a bean burrito (minus the cheese) at Taco Bell. I think my body was really craving a few more calories and I didn't want to get a "hunger headache," especially while driving. So, you do your best.
*By dinner time, I wasn't too hungry, so I just ate some leftover green salad and "Rejuvenative Foods" brand salt-free sauerkraut. That stuff has been a great fermented food for the road (while GT's kombucha is unavailable...sigh).

So, that's it! Today, I had a cherry smoothie (with cherries from my guest's tree!) and will be munching on Watercourse yumminess on the drive home. Oh, and some kim chee I scored at a health food store.


See you tomorrow!