I blasted music from the Nutcracker all morning long, and it actually made the horrible weather not seem so bad. I’ll have to remember that trick for the future…
Frothy coffee and an english muffin stuffed with peanut butter helped, too. But what REALLY warmed my heart was all your sweet comments on my weighty post. You guys are so awesome. Seriously. It’s always nerve racking to put yourself out there, but I am continually amazed by the overwhelmingly supportive and positive comments. Gah. You guys are too much!
Anyways, after breks, I cuddled up in blankets and did the following:
What is (are) your favorite books?
This question may even be more difficult than the WFs question! Hmmm. It’s hard for me to remember all the books I’ve read, so I can hardly recall which of those were my favorites. I’ll try (with the help of www.goodreads.com). Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, and Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden are just a few…
How did you get such a darling sense of humor? Were your parents funny?
I’m not sure if this was a real question, but it made my day month, so I’m including it! Flattery will get you everywhere with me :) I think Kyle brings out the witty entertaining sarcasm in me. He’s the funniest person I know (but don’t tell him I said that).
How do your family/friends react to your lifestyle? Any snide remarks? Or are you unceasingly praised? Both?
As you can see from my ode to my in-laws post, Kyle’s family is VERY accommodating – and they do give me way more credit than I deserve for inspiring them (so sweet!). My family is equally supportive, since they know how I’ve struggled with my GI issues in the past. My friends are also great about working with my vegan lifestyle, not that it’s a huge obstacle or anything, but still, they are fabulous.
If anything, it’s my coworkers that are less accepting. For the most part this is due to a lack of education regarding veganism. And for others, it’s a manifestation of their own personal insecurities. Yes, there are exceptions – I have a few coworkers who I’m closer with, who know about how/why I am vegan. But the rest aren’t very receptive to learning, so I try to avoid even bringing it up at work. What’s the point. I will gladly share with anyone who will listen (clearly…I have a blog about being vegan for crying out loud), but I hate defending my choices, and that’s generally where it ends up going (with a certain few). When you act defensive, people assume there’s a reason for you to be. So I refuse to go there. I brought home-made hummus to our holiday pot-luck last year, and it was a big success, so I think I’m making progress, but there are definitely snide remarks every once in a while that I just have to ignore. Some of my favorite comments: “how’s you coffee and lettuce diet going?”, or “we don’t have to live on nuts and berries to be green, Elise” (after I asked the doctor to save his clamps for me to use after he removed a chest tube). Oh brother. It takes ALL self control to not tell them to just check out the blog. Knowledge may be power, but if people aren’t open to it, it’s just obnoxious.
Lunch time! I’m obsessed with Imagine’s soups. I want to try every flavor. If I didn’t have to lug these boxes home from WFs, I would buy 6 at once (maybe that’s a blessing in disguise). This box of butternut squash was opened yesterday, and for the first time ever, it lasted for two separate meals. I finished it off for lunch, but making it longer than 10 hours is definitely a record for me.
The apples weren’t enough of a lunch dessert, so I had the cocoa roasted almonds too. Wow. These may be just the ticket to get me over my nut phobia (twss).
Love your soul. That is all.
Miraculously, the weather cleared up in the afternoon, and the sun even came out to play. I’ll take it!! I went on a stroll to the bank and other super interesting places. Eventually I wound up at the gym. Not feeling super energetic, I did some biking and called it a day. I had big plans for dinner.
And by big plans, I mean, the easiest recipe ever.
Seitan & 13 bean chili. Yes, THIRTEEN beans. I didn’t even know that many beans existed (kidding), but I found this pack of dry beans the other day and had to give it a shot.
After soaking/cooking the beans for a few hours (until they were soft), I drained them and added in 6 oz. of plain tomato sauce, chopped up chunks of seitan, paprika, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. I didn’t measure anything, I just tasted it as I went. I added a LOT of chili powder, though. Mmmmm…
I dipped home-made pita “chips” in it as I went (ripped up pita that I heated in the oven because our toaster is broken). I’m a dipping fiend lately. The whole meal was awesome. I felt satisfied but not the least bit full. Awesome.
I had a pound (plus) of apples for dessert. 😀
Sarcastic chicas unite 😀
I love the music from the Nutcracker. I was just listening to it myself actually! 🙂
I’ve read (and loved) most all of those books — Time Traveler’s Wife, Glass Castle, Water for Elephants, My Sister’s Keeper…
You have good taste in reads : )
Hey there! Remember me? 😉
Ha, I don’t know how I haven’t been over here to “visit” you in so long!! Hope all is well! 😀
I love sarcasm!! 😀 Clearly.
And Imagine soups. Especially the sodium.
Cocoa roast almonds are not considered almonds. Because I don’t like almonds. And I like those. That takes care of that. :p
<3 <3
chili looks unbelivably delish.
LOVE THOSE ALMONDSSSS! they will change any nut hataaa.
so many good books.. i didnt see The Time Travelers Wife in theatres..i heard it was good!
i know this sounds really weird but for your apple at lunch how do you cut it up into such small perfect slivers?!
jenna
Tomorrow morning I’ll have to try the Nutcracker music. It definitely seems like a good way to start my Friday.
LOVE the 13 bean chili. The more beans, the merrier… and gassier 🙂
Yummy chili!!!! On way to airport for our trip!
Please Excuse my random or lower commenting frequency coming up in the next little bit. But I’ll be reading along best I can! xoxo
Great choice of books! I’m not sure whether or not to watch The Time Traveller’s Wife at the movies because I loved the book so much I’m not sure the movie can do it justice!
That 13 bean mix dinner looks amazing – yum! 🙂
I love love love your blog, and I get my daily food-ooomf from reading it every morning.
Being norwegian and a vegetarian is not always an easy way of life. It seems like America is overflowing with all these great vege-products! Here in Norway there are very few, and they’re EXPENCIVE!
On the good side, it forces us to make food from scratch – dee-lish! 😀
Keep up the wonderful and inspiring work with your blog! <3
I LOVE Sister of my heart. Also everything by Julia Glass (the audio versions are excellent as well) and Haruki Murakami.
Those almonds are amazing.. a co worker gave me a pack the other day and I couldnt inhale them fast enough!! lol
Cocoa roasted almonds, huh?! I made candied almonds yesterday to give as gifts to friends/family, but I can’t bring myself to taste one, lol. I don’t know that anything will get me over my nut phobia…Blech!
Beans and seitan are a match made in heaven. I think topped off with a little nutritional yeast it would have been even better 🙂
Courtney
in tune to mims “this is why i’m hot”…
this is why we’re friends, this is why we’re friends.
1. samesies sense of humor. sometimes i get called a witch minus the w plus the b but i’m like girrrrrrrl pulease you just can’t handle it.
2. nor can they handle healthy eating.
3. you know what i say to hay-tahs? you. just. jelly.
4. you’re fabulous and you know it.
5. you inspired me to read water for elephants.
6. this list is so long already.
7. apples complete my life. currently at the store around the block from me they’re 59 cents a pound. i’m going to restock like NOW.
Aren’t those almonds amaze?! There’s other flavors too – cinnamon sugar, some kind of spicy, some lime thing. I know, I’m great at explaining things, aren’t I?!
that 13 bean chili looks like a fiber lover’s dream. i am going to be on the lookout for those bob’s red mill beans – have a fabulous day love!
Bean-tastic! I love it. And I loved reading your post yesterday. Sorry that you ever have to defend your eating habits to anyone – it makes me so angry when I find myself defending my choice to run/eat well. Gah!
Anyway, your english muff w PB has made me ravenous so I’m off to scour my cupboards!
E! All I could think of re the question of how you got your sense of humor was, “lemme stir these green bizzles.” HAHAHA! Kile makes me laugh and the combo of you two, is the bestest! (insert the soon to be release debut of what will be the reality title, according to kyle, “Beyond Pale”) Best whities combo EVER!
Besos mi amor!
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