Favorite Veggie Sandwich EVER

I LOVE comfort foods! They're warm, flavorful, and comfort way down deep. Ahhhhhh. Well, eating healthy and comfort foods are rarely in the same sentence, let alone the same recipe, until today! I stole most of this recipe from two of my pre-vegan era favorite sandwiches I would buy down at the Safeway deli where they make fresh sandwiches.

Recipe
2 slices bread
2 slices tomatoes
1/2 Cup Artichoke Hearts in Oil (enough to cover one side of bread) They carry this at Costco!
2 tsp Pesto Sauce (Vegan recipe here)
1/4 to 1/2 Avocado, sliced and mashed
Stack of napkins

Lay out bread on foil-covered baking sheet. Spread avocado on one slice and pesto sauce on the other. Layer one slice with tomato slices, the other with the artichoke hearts. Broil @ 500 degrees on top oven rack for 2-4 minutes (don't let it burn!).

Stack the bread into a sandwich, cut in half and enjoy! This sandwich is SO JUICY you'll definitely need napkins!

Sometimes I add vegan rice cheese, a veggie patty or some BBQ sauce. Add chicken or a hamburger patty for a meat option meal. This is SO GOOD my mouth is watering...Mmmmmm.

Make Juice, Not War

I'm no hippie, but I do love the name of this Green Goddess Juice: Make Juice, Not War. It's from Kris Carr's Crazy, Sexy Diet book (see post here). I've told you before that I'm not too hip on eating plain veggies and I didn't used to be too adventurous with food in general, but I do love this juice!

We found this UH-MAZING juicer on Craigslist a few weeks ago (in brand-new condition!) for 1/2 the retail price. Score! It's a Green Star Gold 3000 and not only does it juice the heck out of any fruit or veggie, but it also makes pasta, nut butters (love me some almond butter!) and can even make breadsticks or bagels! If it did the laundry it might be a better wife than I am! :)

Being an amateur wanna-be science geek, I wanted to see just how much juice one could really get out of say...an apple, a pear or veggies like broccoli, spinach and cucumbers (all ingredients in the Goddess Juice!)...

So, here are my juicing ingredients before...

And here are their respective juices after 

(all the veggies are mixed together)...

One byproduct of juicing is the pulp. 

Yes, it looks delightful, but I generously donate this to 

my friend's rabbits, ducks and chickens. They love it!

And we love the juice!

You can see the basic recipe for Make Juice, Not War from the photos above. The pears get a little pulp-y so I've eliminated them and added another apple. I also add a tiny amount of ginger root for a little kick. Any veggies will do, but I haven't experimented too much with those just yet. But I will soon!

This recipe makes about 32 oz. of juice and the enzymes stay alive and active for up to 24 hours. I make this at night, let it chill overnight, then drink it in the morning and throughout the day. It feels like drinking pure energy or life!

Mixed Veggie + Rice Quick Meal

I'm still getting the hang of preparing Vegan meals, especially since I also need to make something that JP will like and find satisfying (he's not Vegan), and by the time dinner rolls around I'm exhausted from taking care of babies all day so I want some yummy and fast!

A couple of times I've turned to boxed solutions, like Rice-A-Roni or Pasta-Roni for a quick meal, then just throw in some veggies. I swap out the 2 tbsp of butter the mix calls for and replace it with 1 tbsp (or less) of Olive Oil. This makes the meal vegan and much healthier for you anyway! (Note: I don't know what is in the "seasoning mix" that comes in the box so it may not be vegan...? but I'm doing my best here.)

Recipe
1 box Rice-A-Roni or Pasta-Roni
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 to 1 Cup of mixed veggies (In the photo, I used a frozen mixed veggie blend + 1 cup of soybeans for my protein. Sometimes I'll add fresh broccoli or bell peppers instead of frozen veggies.)

Prepare the Rice-A-Roni or Pasta-Roni according to the box instructions, but swap out butter for the Olive Oil. Add the veggies towards the end. If they are frozen veggies, mix them in about 5 minutes before the rice or pasta will be done. If fresh veggies, mix in during the last 2 or 3 minutes or just at the very end, then cover the pan with a lid and let them warm up with the rice or pasta for a few minutes. It really depends on how al-dente you like your veggies. (I like them crisp!) Enjoy!

Walnut Apple Salad

I must admit, I usually don't care for salads. Every time I hear the words "diet" I immediately conjure up images of me starving while staring at a bowl of bland vegetables. Whenever I'm eating dinner in a restaurant and someone orders a salad I think, What a waste! Why waste your taste buds and calories on plain old salad?! Ok, maybe that's why I'm having a health crisis....hmmm, nah!

Well, I whipped up a little number last week that I just love. And guess what - no lettuce! I definitely don't feel like a rabbit while eating this yummy and simple apple salad:

Recipe
1/4 to 1/2 Cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
1 Apple, any variety
1 tbsp Italian Dressing, light, fat-free or regular

Microwave walnuts for 30-45 seconds (or warm in oven or over stove) just until you can start to smell their flavor. Thinly slice the apple, then chop slices. Toss walnuts and apple bits with Italian dressing in a large bowl. Enjoy!

Adventures in Couponing

Some of you might not know my dirty, little secret: I seriously LOVE couponing! I was hooked after two of my sisters kept telling me all about their amazing deals and finally showed me how to create them myself. My first couponing trip took over 6 hours of prep work + driving around; I bought over $300 in products and paid less than $30 after coupons!! I was blown away! 

Yesterday's trip wasn't as flashy. It took about 4 hours and I spent $60, but I saved over 70% off store prices. Whoo-hoo! A lot of this is going to be donated to some needy families in the area (and who isn't needy these days?) which makes me feel like I'm getting my shopping fix AND doing charity work at the same time! And I owe it all to Steph, Heidi and Hip2Save. :)

Here's my haul from yesterday:

Here's the price breakdown of each item (so you'll believe me!):

Product	Orig Price	Coupons	Paid	Saved	Store
John Frieda Full Repair Mousse	$         5.00	$           5.00	$          -	100%	Rite Aid
John Frieda Full Repair Mousse	$         5.00	$           5.00	$          -	100%	Rite Aid
John Frieda Full Repair Mousse	$         5.00	$           5.00	$          -	100%	Rite Aid
John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo	$         5.00	$           4.00	$     1.00	80%	Rite Aid
L'Oreal Vive Pro Shampoo	$         2.50	$           2.00	$     0.50	80%	Rite Aid
L'Oreal Vive Pro Shampoo	$         2.50	$           2.00	$     0.50	80%	Rite Aid
L'Oreal Vive Pro Conditioner	$         2.50	$           2.00	$     0.50	80%	Rite Aid
L'Oreal Vive Pro Conditioner	$         2.50	$           2.00	$     0.50	80%	Rite Aid
Duracell AA Batteries 8 pack	$         5.77	$           1.50	$     4.27	26%	Rite Aid
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Betty Crocker Cornbread Mix	$         0.69	$           0.40	$     0.29	58%	Walgreens
Cinnamon Vitamins	$         8.99	$           6.49	$     2.50	72%	Walgreens
Cinnamon Vitamins	$         8.99	$           6.49	$     2.50	72%	Walgreens
Cinnamon Vitamins	$         8.99	$           6.49	$     2.50	72%	Walgreens
Cinnamon Vitamins	$         8.99	$           6.49	$     2.50	72%	Walgreens
Cinnamon Vitamins	$         8.99	$           6.49	$     2.50	72%	Walgreens
Cinnamon Vitamins	$         8.99	$           6.49	$     2.50	72%	Walgreens
Bilberry Vitamins	$         9.79	$           6.90	$     2.90	70%	Walgreens
Bilberry Vitamins	$         8.99	$           6.50	$     2.50	72%	Walgreens
Biotin Vitamins	$      12.99	$           8.50	$     4.50	65%	Walgreens
Biotin Vitamins	$      12.99	$           8.50	$     4.50	65%	Walgreens
Alpha Lipoic Acid Vitamins	$      10.99	$           7.50	$     3.50	68%	Walgreens
Alpha Lipoic Acid Vitamins	$      10.99	$           7.50	$     3.50	68%	Walgreens
Similac Infant Formula 1 qt.	$         5.47	$           5.00	$     0.47	91%	Walmart
Similac Infant Formula 1 qt.	$         5.47	$           5.00	$     0.47	91%	Walmart
Silk Almond Milk	$         2.99	$           2.00	$     0.99	67%	Target
Silk Almond Milk	$         2.99	$           2.00	$     0.99	67%	Target
Silk Almond Milk	$         2.99	$           2.00	$     0.99	67%	Target
Silk Almond Milk	$         2.99	$           2.00	$     0.99	67%	Target
Silk Almond Milk	$         2.99	$           1.00	$     1.99	33%	Target
Silk Almond Milk	$         2.99	$           1.00	$     1.99	33%	Target
Aveeno Lotion 2.5 oz	$         2.99	$           3.00	$   (0.01)	100%	Target
Wishbone Salad Spritzer 7 oz	$         1.43	$           0.95	$     0.48	66%	Target
Wishbone Salad Spritzer 7 oz	$         1.43	$           0.95	$     0.48	66%	Target
Wishbone Salad Spritzer 7 oz	$         1.43	$           0.95	$     0.48	66%	Target
Wishbone Salad Spritzer 7 oz	$         1.43	$           0.95	$     0.48	66%	Target
	$    209.91	$      148.81	$   61.10	71%

Favorite Fruit Smoothie Indulgence

Since making my decision to go Vegan (see post here) I've been rediscovering some delicious foods and would like to share my new favorite recipes with you over the next few months and years.

Here is my quick & easy, LACTOSE-FREE and smoothie recipe:

What you'll need:

Blender
1 to 2 Cups Almond Vanilla Milk (can also use Soy or Rice milk)
4 Strawberries, frozen
1/2 Cup Blueberries, frozen + a handful to sprinkle on top

Blend together and, Voila! The Vanilla Almond milk is already sweet enough that, when blended with the fruit, this smoothie doesn't need a drop of sugar added. And, of course, feel free to try different fruit combos!