I am trying to keep a running set of links to all the recipes I have been using. For some reason it is not allowing me to add links. Here they are for right now. Once I have figured out this technical problem I will have them listed under the Recipe Links.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/caramelized_onion_white_bean_flatbread.html
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/black_bean_quesadillas.html
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/tortellini_primavera.html
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hearty-vegetable-lasagna/
Friday, March 29, 2013
Coming to Terms With My Health
I know I have slacked off on posting this past week. It has been Zoie's spring break and I have fallen ill. So here is I am playing catch up, again.
Once again the other night I fell ill. It leaves me question what in my diet may be causing this. The only thing I can pinpoint is the fact that I over indulged on sweets both of those nights. This feeling happened to me several months ago as well. Anyways on to the main reason I am writing this blog, to share my food experiences. All the recipes I use for dinner can be found under the recipe links. If a recipe calls for broth or stock I use Organic Vegetable Stock from Trader Joe's.
Sunday March 24, 2013
I skipped breakfast and had a smoothie for lunch.
I made Fontal Polenta with Mushroom Saute and Shiitake and Sweet Pea Risotto with fresh garden greens. After watching many a Chef's mess up Risotto on "Hell's Kitchen" I naturally assumed this is what I would have messed up at home. It turned out phenomenal. The Polenta on the other had I went astray somewhere. It turned out runny and un-edible. Luckily I had saved some of the Polenta I bought and salvaged something to be somewhat edible. My son and daughter wouldn't eat it but my husband and I managed to get it down.
Monday March 25, 2013
For breakfast again I had a smoothie. I must say I am kind of addicted. I always use yogurt, mixed berries and spinach. This week I started adding kale because of the added protein. For lunch I had leftovers which has become a trend as long as my husband doesn't take them to work for lunch. The kids had soy hot dogs which they loved. For dinner we had Black Bean Enchilada's, white rice, avocado and fresh home made salsa.
Tuesday March 26, 2013
For breakfast I had a Fiber One bar on the way to my Doctor's appointment. I briefly talked to my Doctor about starting this diet so she ordered a full panel of blood work for me. My weight right now is 172 pounds and on my chart my doctor noted obese. This is a very real moment for me. I am really hoping that this diet will help me loose this weight. I know I gave birth 6 months ago but that is no excuse for being obese. I really hope within this year I change that note on my file. For lunch my kid's finished off the soy hot dogs and I had the remaining Black Bean Enchilada's. For dinner we had Tortellini Primavera which was AMAZING! The recipe called for frozen mixed vegetables but I used fresh carrots, sugar snap peas, sweet peppers, asparagus and broccoli. This was by far my favorite recipe to date. It was filling and I looked forward to eating the leftovers for lunch.
Wednesday March 27, 2013
For breakfast I had a smoothie and for lunch I had leftovers. For dinner I mad a vegetarian lasagna. I personally do not like ricotta so I substituted cream cheese which I whipped with garlic. I took this to a Church event and the entire dish was cleaned out. It was a hit by my family and everyone at church. Next I know to bring A LOT more. This was also the night I ended up getting very sick. I believe it was from eating too much ice cream after dinner.
Thursday March 28, 2013
I did not eat breakfast due to feeling ill. My husband stayed home from work to help me with the children due to me feeling sick almost the entire night before. I got blood work done and asked for a whole panel so that I can compare my results from now to a year from now and see exactly the implications this diet has for my health. When I got home I had a grilled cheese sandwich. For dinner I made Carmelized Onion and White Bean Flatbread Pizza served with grilled asparagus. It was delicious.
Friday March 29, 2012
For breakfast I had waffles with the kids. We went to the Zoo and snacked on Pirate's Booty and Goldfish. Lunch we stopped at In N Out Burger and had Grilled Cheese and animal style fries. Dinner we also ended up going out to eat at Johnny Carino's. We had Spinach Artichoke Dip for a starter. I had Angel Hair Pasta with Artichokes which had sauted Roma tomatos, capers, olives, garlic and fresh basil. Matt had the Fettuccini Alfreda with Artichoke hearts. Zoie had a pizza with tomatos and artichoke hearts and Brodie had a pizza with olives and tomatos. It was all very good.
Once again the other night I fell ill. It leaves me question what in my diet may be causing this. The only thing I can pinpoint is the fact that I over indulged on sweets both of those nights. This feeling happened to me several months ago as well. Anyways on to the main reason I am writing this blog, to share my food experiences. All the recipes I use for dinner can be found under the recipe links. If a recipe calls for broth or stock I use Organic Vegetable Stock from Trader Joe's.
Sunday March 24, 2013
I skipped breakfast and had a smoothie for lunch.
I made Fontal Polenta with Mushroom Saute and Shiitake and Sweet Pea Risotto with fresh garden greens. After watching many a Chef's mess up Risotto on "Hell's Kitchen" I naturally assumed this is what I would have messed up at home. It turned out phenomenal. The Polenta on the other had I went astray somewhere. It turned out runny and un-edible. Luckily I had saved some of the Polenta I bought and salvaged something to be somewhat edible. My son and daughter wouldn't eat it but my husband and I managed to get it down.Monday March 25, 2013
For breakfast again I had a smoothie. I must say I am kind of addicted. I always use yogurt, mixed berries and spinach. This week I started adding kale because of the added protein. For lunch I had leftovers which has become a trend as long as my husband doesn't take them to work for lunch. The kids had soy hot dogs which they loved. For dinner we had Black Bean Enchilada's, white rice, avocado and fresh home made salsa.
Tuesday March 26, 2013
For breakfast I had a Fiber One bar on the way to my Doctor's appointment. I briefly talked to my Doctor about starting this diet so she ordered a full panel of blood work for me. My weight right now is 172 pounds and on my chart my doctor noted obese. This is a very real moment for me. I am really hoping that this diet will help me loose this weight. I know I gave birth 6 months ago but that is no excuse for being obese. I really hope within this year I change that note on my file. For lunch my kid's finished off the soy hot dogs and I had the remaining Black Bean Enchilada's. For dinner we had Tortellini Primavera which was AMAZING! The recipe called for frozen mixed vegetables but I used fresh carrots, sugar snap peas, sweet peppers, asparagus and broccoli. This was by far my favorite recipe to date. It was filling and I looked forward to eating the leftovers for lunch.
Wednesday March 27, 2013
For breakfast I had a smoothie and for lunch I had leftovers. For dinner I mad a vegetarian lasagna. I personally do not like ricotta so I substituted cream cheese which I whipped with garlic. I took this to a Church event and the entire dish was cleaned out. It was a hit by my family and everyone at church. Next I know to bring A LOT more. This was also the night I ended up getting very sick. I believe it was from eating too much ice cream after dinner.Thursday March 28, 2013
I did not eat breakfast due to feeling ill. My husband stayed home from work to help me with the children due to me feeling sick almost the entire night before. I got blood work done and asked for a whole panel so that I can compare my results from now to a year from now and see exactly the implications this diet has for my health. When I got home I had a grilled cheese sandwich. For dinner I made Carmelized Onion and White Bean Flatbread Pizza served with grilled asparagus. It was delicious.For breakfast I had waffles with the kids. We went to the Zoo and snacked on Pirate's Booty and Goldfish. Lunch we stopped at In N Out Burger and had Grilled Cheese and animal style fries. Dinner we also ended up going out to eat at Johnny Carino's. We had Spinach Artichoke Dip for a starter. I had Angel Hair Pasta with Artichokes which had sauted Roma tomatos, capers, olives, garlic and fresh basil. Matt had the Fettuccini Alfreda with Artichoke hearts. Zoie had a pizza with tomatos and artichoke hearts and Brodie had a pizza with olives and tomatos. It was all very good.Saturday, March 23, 2013
Day 6:Starting to feel the Effects
Saturday March 23, 2013
Last night I started to feel ill and I believe it is from the grease in the Grilled Cheese I ate from In N Out and the sugar I consumed. All dayII've felt a little off. I skipped breakfast and had a bean and cheese burrito made from the left overs from the rest of the week. For dinner we had Black Bean and Cheese Enchilada with Ranchera Sauce. It was good but a little on the spicy side. Next time I will tone down the spiciness.
Last night I started to feel ill and I believe it is from the grease in the Grilled Cheese I ate from In N Out and the sugar I consumed. All dayII've felt a little off. I skipped breakfast and had a bean and cheese burrito made from the left overs from the rest of the week. For dinner we had Black Bean and Cheese Enchilada with Ranchera Sauce. It was good but a little on the spicy side. Next time I will tone down the spiciness.Friday, March 22, 2013
Day 3, 4, and 5: Feeling Great!
Wednesday March 20, 2013
For breakfast I had my usual coffee and smoothie. For lunch I had the leftover Vegetable "Meat" loaf and my kids had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. For dinner I made Chipotle bean burritos with white rice and home made pico de gallo sauce on corn and wheat tortilla's.
 |
| Corn and Wheat tortilla's and Sour Cream topping |
 |
| Chipotle Black and Kidney Beans |
 |
| Home made pico de gallo sauce tomatos, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice |
For breakfast I had a smoothie and my children had oatmeal. For lunch I had a salad at +ChuckeCheese KSA and my kids had cheese and olive pizza. For dinner I had Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup from SavvyVegeterian.com in the slow cooker. It was good but I cooked it for 6 hours which turned it to mush.
Friday March 22, 2013
I started this morning off with a smoothie, coffee and couldn't resist the mixed berry whole wheat pancakes. For lunch I made home made macaroni and cheese. For dinner we opted to go out and indulge in Grilled Cheese from In N Out burgers. For those of you not familiar with the "secret menu" at In N Out Burger a Grilled Cheese is in essence a cheeseburger minus the beef patty or any patty of the sort. After eating mainly fresh ingredients all week the meals I had today have me feeling a bit bloated.
 |
| Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup |
I started this morning off with a smoothie, coffee and couldn't resist the mixed berry whole wheat pancakes. For lunch I made home made macaroni and cheese. For dinner we opted to go out and indulge in Grilled Cheese from In N Out burgers. For those of you not familiar with the "secret menu" at In N Out Burger a Grilled Cheese is in essence a cheeseburger minus the beef patty or any patty of the sort. After eating mainly fresh ingredients all week the meals I had today have me feeling a bit bloated.
 |
| Breakfast of Champions |
 |
| Zoie eating her Macaroni and Cheese |
 |
| Fresh Cantaloupe for a snack with Khloie's freshly made babyfood |
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Day 2 At Home
Yesterday was our first full day at home of eating meat free. My husband and I searched online for recipes for the rest of the week. I went shopping and I spent around $100 on all the groceries for the week.
For breakfast I had a green smoothie containing spinach, pineapple, mixed berries, orange juice, honey and low fat greek yogurt. It was delicious.
For lunch I had a bean and rice burrito with pico de gallo salsa, sour cream and sharp cheddar cheese.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Day 1
 |
| Last meat dinner |
 |
| First vegetarian dinner |
Today for breakfast I had oatmeal with strawberry and banana yogurt and a bagel with cream cheese. For my birthday lunch since we were on the go we ended up having ice cream at McConnell's in Santa Barbara, CA. I had a delicious salted caramel chip, the kids had Cookie Dough and Matt had peanut butter, butterscotch and death by chocolate.
For an early dinner we stopped in Ventura at Nature's Grill. Zoie had a bean burrito on a whole wheat tortilla. Kaleb had pasta with butter and parmesan cheese. Matt had a Zen Burger with a rice and veggie patty. I had a Buddha Burrito which had brown rice, pinto beans, jicama, cauliflower, broccoli and cheese served with enchilada sauce. We all finished our meals.
We are feeling great but because we ate so early we are hungry again. I'd say overall we are feeling good.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Apprehension Sets In
March 16, 2013
As the day approaches I am getting more and more anxious to start this new diet. I am a bit apprehensive about beginning on Monday now that I know I will be gone most of the day. This diet will be easy to control while at home. While we are away from home is when the temptation of veering off will strike hardest. Especially with three young children. I am doing my best to research Vegetarian restaurants but unfortunately there are not a lot of choices where we are traveling and it will be our first day of the diet. It looks like a supermarket trip to load up on goodies will have to suffice. A change in plans and we will try to be home early enough for me to cook our first vegetarian dinner.
My daughter told me this morning that she will try this diet but she isn't sure about it. I am glad she is being honest with me about this. I think it will be hardest for our children because they are not really being given any say in this decision. One other thing is trying to have our children stick to this vegetarian lifestyle while away from home. My daughter often spends the night at friend's houses so this may be an issue. I truly want my whole family to keep on this vegetarian regime 100%. I will definitely be going to my brother for advice on recipes and how to stay true to this change. He has been on a vegetarian diet for the past several years now. Although on occasion he has been known to venture off but that is few and far between and mainly only when he visits Southern California. There seems to be a lack of vegetarian cuisine where we live.
As the day approaches I am getting more and more anxious to start this new diet. I am a bit apprehensive about beginning on Monday now that I know I will be gone most of the day. This diet will be easy to control while at home. While we are away from home is when the temptation of veering off will strike hardest. Especially with three young children. I am doing my best to research Vegetarian restaurants but unfortunately there are not a lot of choices where we are traveling and it will be our first day of the diet. It looks like a supermarket trip to load up on goodies will have to suffice. A change in plans and we will try to be home early enough for me to cook our first vegetarian dinner.
 |
| To a healthy heart |
Friday, March 15, 2013
About Me and My Journey
My name is Kristin Ward. I am turning 30 in a mere 3 days. I am married with 3 beautiful children and 2 beautiful dogs. I am a born and raised Southern Californian. I was raised shopping till I drop, going to the beach and living adventures. While on the go we would eat a lot of fast food. My dad was a meat and potato's kind of guy and I married a man that follows suit. This is about my journey with my family to change our eating ways.
I have lived a lifestyle that consists of the typical American Diet until now. Well in reality on March 18 (my 30th birthday) my family and I are changing our diet to become Vegetarians for 365 days. I am starting this blog to share my experience on this monumental change in our lives. My husband and I decided to make this lifestyle change after watching the Documentary "Forks over Knives" (directed and written by Lee Fulkerson). My husband, who up until now would refuse to eat a meal if it did not have meat in it, offered up this challenge. I quickly agreed and set a start date, my birthday. My goal is to post every day about what I eat, how I feel and how the diet is effecting my family.
This challenge is not only to change our eating habits I am also including a challenge for myself to lose weight. I gave birth to my youngest child 6 months ago and am struggling to lose the weight I gained during pregnancy. I guess this would be a good place to introduce my children. Zoie is my oldest and is a 6 year old girl who enjoys Martial Arts. She is a Purple belt in the American Taekwondo Association as well as trains at our Church. My second child is my son Brodie. He is 3 years old and is a whirlwind of energy and amusement. My youngest is Khloie and as mentioned above she is 6 months old and is a complete Momma's girl. My entire family trains at our Church in the Martial Arts ministry. Our dogs are both pit bulls. The oldest is all white with black spots named Chopper and the younger is champagne and white named George.
 |
| My husband and 2 oldest kids Excalibur in Las Vegas February 16, 2013 |
I have lived a lifestyle that consists of the typical American Diet until now. Well in reality on March 18 (my 30th birthday) my family and I are changing our diet to become Vegetarians for 365 days. I am starting this blog to share my experience on this monumental change in our lives. My husband and I decided to make this lifestyle change after watching the Documentary "Forks over Knives" (directed and written by Lee Fulkerson). My husband, who up until now would refuse to eat a meal if it did not have meat in it, offered up this challenge. I quickly agreed and set a start date, my birthday. My goal is to post every day about what I eat, how I feel and how the diet is effecting my family.
 |
This challenge is not only to change our eating habits I am also including a challenge for myself to lose weight. I gave birth to my youngest child 6 months ago and am struggling to lose the weight I gained during pregnancy. I guess this would be a good place to introduce my children. Zoie is my oldest and is a 6 year old girl who enjoys Martial Arts. She is a Purple belt in the American Taekwondo Association as well as trains at our Church. My second child is my son Brodie. He is 3 years old and is a whirlwind of energy and amusement. My youngest is Khloie and as mentioned above she is 6 months old and is a complete Momma's girl. My entire family trains at our Church in the Martial Arts ministry. Our dogs are both pit bulls. The oldest is all white with black spots named Chopper and the younger is champagne and white named George.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)