Wedding, Birthday and Farm

Well it has been a whirl wind week!

Saturday we woke up early and got ready for our friends wedding. I had my fav breakfast:

YUM! Oatmeal, coconut, walnuts, banana and a splash of Silk. love it!

The ceremony was really nice and almost exactly under 45 minutes! which is nice not too short and not too long! Her dress was absolutely gorgeous! LOL After the ceremony we took a drive and got me a pita....as I was pretty hungry! Got my usual falafle YAY

We made our way to the cafe where the reception was held, very quaint and cosy! And very beautiful! They had to alter the vegetarian option for me, but it was pretty good, pasta tossed with olive oil (so it was a bit oily) the salad was awesome!

This is what M had...tenderloin wrapped in bacon, roasted veggies and potatoes


Here is a pic of the cake...It looked super yum! but was made with cream...but still looked quite YUM!

and I am so happy for them! and hope they are having a great time on the Riviera :)

We stayed at the Matrix hotel so that M could have a few drinks. The room was great and would recommend anyone staying in Edmonton to stay there...room were very modern.

Next day we woke up a bit early as I wanted to see what the continental breakfast was about...and WOW Best continental Bfast I have ever had! again if you are in Edmonton definitely stay there! We made our way to Jenna's parents house for brunch (more like lunch for us) for the gift opening and to say our goodbyes before they left.

Monday I was up early so I could clean up the car and take it out for a spin before my test....YIIKKKERS! I was soooo nervous and made a couple of mistakes, but totally rocked my parallel park I was so proud of myself! YAY So now I am waiting for my licence in the mail :)

Tuesday we went out to the farm to help pick the weeds and M helped put up a fence...Man picking weeds is hard work!

I went back Wednesday and finished another row :) Funny I am not much of a bug person but I find weeding nice and relaxing! It has been super warm out and I get to sit in the field and listen to the birds....Its nice :)

Around 6 I cleaned up and went to meet my parents for dinner @ Ricky's....I was excited as they offer a veggie burger I kind of had been dreaming of the one from Montana's...I was sadly disappointed! it was just a frozen veggie burger...BOOO but the best happened after dinner...a Huge storm rolled in so I saw an awesome light show then went to the movies and saw A-Team...which was a great movie.

OOO and B-day loot, I don't really need anything...but Mom and Dad and my Bro Jay pitched in and got me a Red Apron and a new vegan cook book....Veganomigon....I have been eyeing this book for a few weeks now so...YAY! Cheryl my SIL got me some super soft and warm indoor slippers...

Today I was back out weeding....WOW weeding sure makes me dirty! So its off the to shower...Will Chat with you soon :)

Gearing Up for the weekend

WOW what a busy weekend we have ahead of us! I will have my camera with me so I will snap a few pics along my way! Today I will be making a trip out to Mom and Dad's, M needs to pick up some dress shoes for the wedding tomorrow...and I will get in some drive time..Road test is on Monday!! EEK Although I feel pretty confident I don't test well and get very nervous!

Tomorrow we will be waking up super early to get read for the wedding, I am excited as I love weddings! and we are staying at a hotel which will be fun! this way M can have a drink of two to celebrate instead of being the DD YAY!

Sunday we will hang in the city a bit, then pick up a few groceries...not many though as we need to eat up the freezer/pantry foods that have accumulated over the months..this should lessen the grocery bill a bit! I hope to get a bit more drive time in and I think we are meeting my parents on Leduc for Fathers day dinner.

Then Monday is of course my road test and hopefully a celebratory dinner! :) sending out the good positive vibes!

So I probably wont be blogging until Monday and will decide if I will go separate posts for the different days or all on one...depending on how many pics I have :)

So far today I have had breaky...delic Oatmeal, with my usual coconut, walnuts, banana and a splash of almond milk...YUM!

Have an awesome weekend everyone! I will be sure to post a pic of me in my dress :)

Blah...

Well today I got my monthly...Blah! Worse yet its a week early! Although I hate to complain as I know that I have it easier than others!

But for some reason...especially when its early I feel so crappy and tired I just want to sleep...and on top of that I literally want to eat everything I can get my hands on, I feel very out of control....especially if it is quick and easy and no prep as I just don't have the energy to actually cook...

This feeling last for 1 full day...I know your saying really...REALLY only one day! This out of control eating and tiredness ends up making me feel crappy about my eating choices so now I am crampy, tired, hungry AND sad that I made poor choices!

Thankfully I bounce back the next day and continue to make my healthy choices..

I have brought this up to my doctor, and I am now using a herb supplement chasteberry. I changed brand though (where I am now my reg brand in unavail) so it will be a month or two to get use to this one.

3rd edit...funny at how after I post, I think of more to add! But not only do I have the above feeling but I am also an emotional wreck! I cry and am moody...Its a wonder that M doesnt move out for the few days I am like this...I sure hope next month is better...If not I am going back on the other suppliments!

I also mention that Guys might be interested as M also goes though what we call "Grey Days" Where he needs his space and is grumpy and pretty much PMSy....I try to give him his space even though when I am this way he figures this is prime time to pick and push my buttons! but that is a whole other story...

On the Plus though I got an E-mail from Jenna @ petitfoodie with awesome news! I entered a contest and Won! and what did I win! I won some peas and lentils! which M thought I was weird because I was excited about it! I cant wait for them to arrive so I can make and post about what I make...YAY for winning!

Past Weekend and the begining of this week

Well Saturday was a hectic day! First got up early to get read to go to the city as M and I were invited to go to stags for our awesome friends that are getting married next week! M needed to be there around 1:30pm and mine didn't start until 7pm so I had a lot of time to eat up so I was dropped off at the "Mall" which fits perfect into my plan as I needed a haircut and to pick up a few items before I was ready :)

I had Extreme Pita for lunch and a small bag of baked lays...I was surprised that the chips are only 130 cal a bag and not really salty at all...YUM!

I was fortunate enough to have April (Sister of the bride and good friend) call me and ask if I had enough of the mall and see if I wanted to hang with her for a bit before the event..I was totally cool with that! as I didn't want to be changing in the mall bathroom! LOL

After we picked everyone up, we made our way to Bourbon street to The Red Piano. I will spare you the crappiness of the evening, as I would like to remember the good times! But do note the service and disposition of the Red Piano made it so I will never be back) I looked on line and there seemed to be limited to the vegan choices, but I new I could make due so no worries! I ordered the grapefruit salad and a side of asparagus. Both tasted good. The entertainment was just OK, actually I was disappointed as I thought duelling pianos would be different....

I didn't get back to April's until 5am...yup you read that right! 5am! so needless to say we slept until about 12:30....April and Pat are not vegan but I did eat about 1/4 of the watermelon that was from the Bogs Stag :) and WOW they picked an awesome watermelon! it was really tasty!

Shortly after we made our way back home and before picking up a few items from WM I had M stop at subway, I had a veggies on 9 grain bun....YUM!

.....I cant remember what I had for supper but I think it was a sandwich :)

Monday was just as busy as the weekend...Dropped my brother in law (well soon to be) off at the airport then headed back to the city for a Dr. Apt. Nothing too serious, but for the last 5 or so years they have detected "abnormal cells" which have a tendency to turn cancerous, so I get my "yearly' every six months. So far my Doc says its just precaution and nothing to worry about.

Monday's breakfast was a bit weird, a bagel with hummus and veggies on one side and organic peanut butter on the other with a bowl of fruit. :)

I took this opportunity to ask a few questions as lately I have been feeling a bit off.

Today...I had a bit of a weird breakfast (again), yogurt with some strawberries and a bowl of dry cereal...sometimes I just like dry cereal :)

Lunch was a bagel with hummus, spring mix lettuce, alfalfa sprouts and avocado. Along with a mini cucumber and a small fruit salad (Kiwi, strawberries and blueberries)

For supper I had 2 spelt burgers (recipe from Clean eating Mama..YUM!) topped with some Frenches. Along with a frozen veg mix and a salad...the Salad was great as I made the dressing! using pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic and cumin. Very light and fresh :)

After dinner went for a mini walk then made some Sleepy tea and had a few peanut butter filled pretzels that I shared with M :)

OOO I almost forgot to mention that I went out driving today! really worked my parallel parking and over all did quite well...Will be back out tomorrow as I only have a few days of practice left..

Zucchini Pasta and Millet Pizza

Today was a lazy day! I know what day isnt when your not working! But I must say I do miss work as I am a social being by heart so I cant wait to get to Vancouver so I can start scouting out a job!

We did get some cleaning up done though which is nice as it was getting a bit piled up! And with such a busy Saturday ahead. I will be packing a bag incase the eats that are out are not Jenn friendly...Good thing I made a huge batch of hummus (red pepper flavor YUM!) so I will bring that and some crackers/veggies to share. I also got a great idea from a website (:( cant remember which) to add a different kind of beans to your hummus for variety...like chickpea and black bean...

Today was the day after M tried Veganism for a week, He did pretty good and I tried a few new recipes so he would get bored. But for his reward I said he could have pizza after his challenge! I think we will see a decline in the meat consumption at our house, Although he said he missed cheese and eggs most, I mentioned that he could try vegetarianism, but I think he dosent want to put a label on it just yet... But I did want to give him Kuddos for trying it on! YAY M!

Well on to today's eats...

Breakfast was cereal and silk....and an orange, this was the new cereal that I got from London drugs...They always have "Natures Path" cereal on sale for around 3.50 a box where here at WM its more than 5 bucks! So I usually buy a few boxes and mix them in my cereal bin and I maximize the flavor :)

Lunch was a can of butternut squash and red pepper soup...It was really good! I will be looking for a recipe for this (I am trying to get away from canned soup) and I had some toast with earth balance.

Supper was zucchini pasta and Millet Pizza....Now these names are a bit misleading, let me clarify :)

I have read The Thrive Diet, and saw on a few other blogs about zucchini Pasta, so I really wanted to try it! So unfortunately I do not have a veggie pasta maker (YET) I used my potato pealer to peal the zucchini into strips, then cut the strips in half as I didnt want them thick.

I browned 1 garlic clove and green onion, then added some mushrooms. Cooked for a few minutes. Added some thin strips of green and red pepper and the zucchini. Stir fry for a few minutes until your desired tenderness. once in my bowl I squeezed a 1/4 of a lemon and sprinkled with fresh basil and some dried parsley (I didnt have fresh parsley) This may have just become my most favorite food ever!

I also got a pizza from the local pizza place (I currently live in Millet) see how this is misleading as I sounds a bit like the pizza is made from the grain millet...**Note I had 2 slices with my pasta...so I will freeze the rest and see if it survives the reheat.

Well I had 2 slices, and as usual they were super tasty! And they have made up for the dissapointment in the pizza of last time! So if you are ever in Millet, I suggest stopping in at Leanne's on the main street and treat yourself to a pizza!

OOO I also just noticed that I got my first follower :) Hi Cori! Please do chime in if you have any questions or suggestions for me!

Off to the In Laws...as I need an outfit for tomorrow and that is where my closet resides...well for now anyway :)

Eats, Running and Driving

Was very busy girl today!

First I woke up at 5am! and couldn't sleep any longer! so I got up and took my meds (for hypothyroidism) and lied back down for a few minutes to cuddle with M. MMMM Cuddles!

After about 20 minutes of making sure I couldn't sleep any longer I talked myself into going for a run after breakfast...

Breakfast was Oatmeal...Seems like I cant get enough of it! I had it topped with 1/2 Banana, coconut, cinnamon and walnuts...This is by far my favorite breakie!

I waited about an hour before getting ready for my run...wanting to be sure that my meal was digested enough to give me energy and that I went to the bathroom lots :)

The run was fabulous! Next time M is awake when I run I will get him to take a pic of me in my gear! Although the weather was dreary it was prefect for a run, not too cold but not too hot! I did almost the same run as last week, but also went on the trails as I wanted to get in at least over 5K. The Air was nice and crisp and I found my love for the sport again..YAY Garmin showed distance as exactly 6 K....Super YAY

Once I returned I changed and had a protein bar (homemade, I am currently looking into a new recipe, I may try one from the Thrive Diet book)

After about an hour and half I started Core Synergenitcs WOW sweated lots! and actually felt a lot of my core actually working...Hopefully this will reduce my tire :)

After today's installment of P90X I made a green monster....which was less than stellar...I don't think I will be adding watermelon again! It was Ok but not great!

Lunch was homemade hummus (from the E2 Diet website, but I added roasted red peppers) on a wrap with avocado and left over salad...YUM! Oh and lets not forget pickles! I love pickles!

After lunch I was starting to feel my 5am wake up and wanted a nap...so I laid down for about an hour and a half.

Once I woke up I started on dinner...I adapted a recipe from the no meat athlete blog as I didn't have the exact ingredients :) I do this all the time so I can use up my veggies but still want to try something new, It was called Baltimorean beans and rice, which consisted of black eyed peas, onion, garlic, chopped broccolini, corn and some cider vinegar and vegan Worcestershire, Although I didn't serve mine with rice I had roasted veggies instead, It also called for kale which I subbed broccolini as I had some that needed to be eaten :)

I also made cup cakes the other day for Georges B-Day...I knew there would be cake and I wanted to partake in the desserts :) they actually turned out great...really fudgy but next batch will have walnuts YUM!

After Supper I went out to practice my parking....Ugh I have lots to practice before the 21!!!

Not paying off....

Even though I suspect that no one reads this, I hope that maybe I will get to be able to help others with my efforts :)

Today I have the over whelming feeling that my efforts are going unnoticed and just plain not paying off. Now I realize that I could be doing more...and I could be putting more effort in, but with the effort I am doing you would think I would have lost a little weight and would fit my clothes better?? I am upset as I really do not have anyone to guide me through this hard time except myself...and frankly I am poorly experienced!

I just want to start feeling energized and alive....I thought this would happen more as I moved to a more clean eating. But it hasn't happened yet! I am unsure if it is just that I haven't worked in a while or that I am depressed or just the weather...but I feel Blah A LOT lately

I know what M would say....I am thinking too much into it...But I think I am justified in that I have been working out and eating so healthy! and no weight loss and no inches lost....I think its weird!

Well I decided to take it slow...so I will log everything I eat and my exercise...

So Today I had Oatmeal topped with 1/2 banana, coconut, cinnamon, walnuts and a splash of Silk, YUM!

Lunch I had a spelt hamburger (got recipe from Clean Eating Mama) on a Chibbata bun topped with avocado, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts and mustard. Sided with some potato salad loaded with veggies: red/green pepper, radish, green onion, cucumber, nayonaise, dill and basil.



For a snack I have a small handful of mixed nuts and watermelon juice :) YUM!

Supper was actually great although it was a bit thrown together...I had a super salad...field greens, cucumber, celery, tomato, mushroom, radish, topped with a bit of rice, chick peas and a few olives and avocado. Splashed with some vinegar, with some toast spread with earth balance.