One Small Change

I will be posting here (at least monthly) about a challenge to change one thing each month leading up to Earth Day, and to blog about it. This challenge is at the request of Hip Mountain Mama -

We want to challenge each of you to make 1 change each month leading up to Earth Day (April 22, 2010). It can be small or it can be huge, but all we ask is that you decide on something you will do to make a positive green impact and follow through with it. If everyone makes 4 changes between January and April, this can have a huge effect. If you want to be a part of this amazing and life changing challenge, please see below for details.

I will have to dig deep because I do a lot already see Going Green . So if you have an idea for me, please comment!

Changed my veggie balls recipe

This is starting to feel like a food blog! Since reading so much about the trouble with soy, especially the processed kind, I am now trying to limit my processed soy intake. No more soy milk, it's now rice milk or almond milk. Instead of TVP in my meatless ball or loaf, I have tonight for the first time used quinoa in its place. It changes every time I make it because it depends on what I have in my fridge, and what nuts or seeds in my cupboards. Unfortunately, it wasn't vegan because I used an egg, but here is the super easy recipe from tonight:

• 1 cup of each chopped small or minced veggies- onions, peppers, carrots, mushrooms
  
• 1 cup walnuts chopped
  
• 2 cups cooked stuffing - I used this because it was leftover, but I normally use bread crumbs
• quinoa (4 cups after cooking) I used Bob's Red Mill brand
  
• italian herbs, salt, pepper to taste
  
• 1 egg
  

Mix and let it sit for a few minutes while you get your cookie sheet/pan out and just cover the bottom with vegetable oil. Preheat oven at 400. Use a large melon baller to make the balls, and place on the pan. Cook for 15 minutes, roll them over and cook for another 15 minutes

Yummy, tasty and healthy! Here's some info on quinoa.

Tonights dinner

Well I made pizza for the family again, and here is what I did for my dinner: I took the leftover dough (I make it myself with whole grain white flour), rolled it out. In a bowl I mixed spinach, olives, onions, garlic, tomato sauce, nutritional yeast and some italian herbs. Spread it on the dough, rolled it, and topped with some olive oil. It is baking as we speak! I'm sure it's yummy. :)

So, I think I may have officially detoxed from cheese because I don't really crave it anymore. My breakfasts have become more healthy because I am eating more whole grain cereal, oatmeal and fruit. I used to eat American cheese on an English muffin, on toast, or on scrambled eggs. If I made a sandwich I would have cheese on it, even though I could never really taste it with everything (lots of veggies & hummus) I put on it. I don't think I'm losing weight, that wasn't the motive anyway, but I'm not having as much stomach pain. I used to attribute it to too much coffee, but I haven't kicked that habit yet. I vary how I drink it though, today it was black.

With all the good I'm doing, I shall confess my times of weakness. Thanksgiving was the sour cream and onion mashed potatoes, and on the way to a client's house I was hungry (forgot my granola) I stopped at DD for their Everything Bagel and veggie cream cheese, and I enjoyed every bite! The cake at my cousin's baby shower was from Wright's Dairy Farm, and had real cream frosting. Guess what? I'm OK! At another time if I veered off course just a little I would give up completely and go back to the old ways. It's not black & white, and I will still have a dab of cream in my coffee at times, and maybe even some yogurt....You'll never catch me saying that I am a vegan, I will probably always be a vegetarian that just limits her dairy intake. :) It's all good, with or without Hood. Sorry, for being cheesy! LOL I'm on a roll..... Goodnight, it's been a long day.