Meal Plan

I've had an idea. It's never really dawned on me before until today. Why not create a meal plan and share it? I recently had a rough week sticking to my "diet". I realized it'd be easier if I already  had a plan for the day and stuck to it, then of course share it for those of you in need of a meal plan, but don't like the idea of paying people for one.

Like my big watermelon? It weighted 34.4 pounds! By time I eat it all, I'll be sooo sick of watermelon, till Spring. So below is a simple free 5 day meal plan, if you like it, let me know I'll post more. :) If you'd prefer to make your own here are some tips :

* Food Blogs - check out all the healthy recipes on all your favorite food blogs and jot down your favorites. Don't forget to bookmark and print the recipes!

* Pintrest -  Just search your prefered diet ( vegan, vegetarian, paleo, low carb ect. ) and what ever your in the mood for or use words like " healthy breakfast" or "vegan lunches" and such.

* Instagram- Just follow all the healthy accounts you can find, check daily for inspiration and most accounts give recipes with the photos. Make sure to jot down your favorite recipes.

* Tumblr- Like Instagram, just follow healthy accounts, and check for yummy recipes and print them out.

* Food Companies - It might be strange but if you recently went shopping, check the websites of all your healthy foods, yes even the produce and meat ( if your eating meat). They nearly always have recipes on the sites, and who better to get cooking tips from, than the people who made, or grew the product. Just print the recipes :)

Once you have a decent amount of recipes you love, begin mapping out your days with which recipe for what meal , each day. It's best to do this a few days before your plan will start so you have time to shop for things you might need. It can help you save money in the long run ( if your only buying for what is needed for a week and not just guessing, you avoid random unneeded items that wont be used until you discover it months later and use it.) . If your super busy you might want to look into meal prepping as well.

So here it goes, my simple Mostly Vegetarian Meal Plan 

 * Remember to use organic if possible. Also I will provide links to recipes as needed.
 You may switch ingrediants as needed to fit your dietary needs.
 Day 1 

Breakfast : 1 serving Baked Eggs with Hummus : 
http://sabra.com/recipes/Baked-Eggs-with-Hummus

Snack: 1 Apple Sliced, Preferred Nut butter Spread on apple slices.


Lunch: 1 Serving Bean Tacos : 
 http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/black-bean-tacos-with-roasted-peppers-and-onions/ 
 http://www.marinmamacooks.com/2012/06/paul-mccartneys-refried-bean-tacos/

You may enjoy a side salad as well.


Snack: Blueberries with honey or Celery with Hummus , ranch, or nutbutter

Dinner : Go with the flow. I like having dinner options open. Enjoy a filling salad, or baked falafel.


Day 2

Breakfast: Fruit Parfait : 
 http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/fresh-fruit-parfaits


Snack:  Carrots and salad dressing.

Lunch: Veggie Curry , you may add a dollop of hummus. :) 
http://minimalistbaker.com/30-minute-coconut-curry/

Snack: Apple or other fruit.

Dinner: Go with the flow :) Veggie burgers are lovely though, or you can have a nice veggie soup.



Day 3

Breakfast: Baked Egg Scramble : Basically 1 egg prepared for scramble, poured into a ramekin or muffin tins. Add peppers and onion, preferred seasoning ( i like Mrs. dash), bake at 400 for 15 minutes. You can top with cheese if you like. Have a side of fruit, yogurt or toast. 


Snack:  Fruit or nuts


Lunch:  Hummus and Veggie Wrap :
http://www.simple-veganista.com/2014/06/hummus-veggie-wrap.html

Snack: Nut and cheese or fruit plate.

Dinner:Go with the flow, but loaded baked sweet potatoes and a salad is a great idea.


Day 4 

Breakfast: Yogurt and fruit with a drizzle of honey and nuts OR granola.


Snack:  Apple

Lunch:  Southwest Salad : 
 http://www.homesweetjones.com/vegan-southwest-salad-creamy-avocado-chipotle-dressing-2/

Snack: Bliss Ball : http://happyholisticliving.blogspot.com/2015/08/cocoa-bliss-balls.html

Dinner: It's up to you, but this looks amazing.
 http://www.homesweetjones.com/baked-eggplant-parmesan-stacks/



Day 5

Breakfast:  Huevos Rancheros : 
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/huevos-rancheros.html

Snack:  Nuts, seeds or fruit of cucumber slices.


Lunch:  This yummy pizza : ( you may totally add cheese if you need it, but this is great on it's own)  http://www.simple-veganista.com/2012/07/veggie-lover-pizza-gluten-free.html

Snack:  Popcorn, yay!

Dinner: You know the drill, but here are a couple ideas. 

http://www.homesweetjones.com/cedar-plank-salmon-oven/    with a salad. 

http://www.simple-veganista.com/2014/03/chinese-chop-salad-peanut-sesame.html


So there we have it. A simple meal plan. I didn't add dessert, I assume you can figure out something lovely to have. :) Hope you enjoyed this.

Cocoa Bliss Balls

Happy Tuesday. Ok it's been a rather depressing Tuesday, rainy and gloomy all day, as well as trying to fix things on the website. Thankfully I have a yummy treat in my fridge. Cocoa Bliss Balls are delicious , vegan, and wonderful for satisfying your chocolate cravings.

The picture is awful I know. I made these quickly and just decided to post the recipe. There are tons of chocolate bliss ball recipes out there, I like using ideas from lots of different ones. I kept these simple though. Remember to try to use Organic ingredients. 



Cocoa Balls 

* 2 Cups pitted dates
* 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder 
* 2 Tbsp Cocoanut Milk ( may substitute water or other nut milk) 
* Dash of salt 
* 2 Tbsp Chocolate Chips
* 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions : 

In a Food Processor or High Powdered Blender , add the dated, blend till they become lightly chopped. Add the rest of the ingredient. Blend till combined, yet chunky. Scoop out mixture and for into balls. Allow them to chill in a fridge or freezer for 20 - 20 minutes. After they are done chilling you may roll them in mini chocolate chips, cocoa powder, or shredded cocoanut. 

Enjoy :)  
 

Simply American Pinto Bean Burgers

So it's basically the last full month of summer. It's sad I know. But there are still plenty weekends left for grilling or just having a quick dinner. I consider myself Mostly Vegetarian, as in, I have some meat once in a while, but mainly live on fruit, veggies, nuts, and seeds. I'm like a fairy who craves meat sometimes. My Bean Barely and Kale burgers are nice and all, when my kale isn't frozen for soups...yeah. Also sometimes I just crave a meaty-ish burger with "American flavor" you know, ketchup, mustard, pickles... basically the classic American Cheeseburger. While searching the web for a good recipe, every single one I found seemed to take 2 hours to make and you had to add the tears of a unicorn, fairy dust and dance around the bowl singing kumbaya. I'm kidding of course, but I didn't see the point of using the same basic ingredients and 3 different methods ( that took hours) for the same type of burger. So I made my own.

Also I don't want the carbs of a big cheeseburger on a wheat bun...so I stuff the burger in a low carb Pita.  Pictured is a Vegan version ( no cheese).  It's a simple and great recipe, plus you can freeze the burgers after baking for using later.  Remember to try to use Organic. 
  
Simply American Pinto Bean Burgers 

* 1 and 1/2 Cup Cooked Pinto Beans 
* 2 Tbsp Ketchup 
* 1 Tbsp Mustard
* 1 tsp Liquid Smoke 
* 1 Can Mushrooms, Drained 
* 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
* 1/2 tsp Onion Powder 
* 1/4 tsp Sriracha
* 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce ( optional) 
* 1 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs ( You may add more if needed) 

Directions: 

Mash the beans with a fork till mostly mashed, but small bean halves remain. Add in wet ingredients and seasonings. Mix well. Add in bread crumbs till a soft "dough" is formed. With a spoon drop mixture onto a prepared pan, shape into patties. Bake at 400, for 7 minutes on each side. Enjoy with preferred toppings and bread ( or just lettuce) 

Enjoy :) 

This is the Cheeseburger version. No that's not a bug on the plate, it's a bean crumb. lol

Creamy Garlic Lemon Hummus

Happy August! This blog is officially a year old now, actually it was at the end of July...I totally missed it. Oh well, there are so many birthdays coming up for me. Today I have a great hummus recipe. Hummus is super healthy and very popular among vegetarians and vegans. Hummus is loaded with protein and nutrients, plus it's just yummy.

It looks great right? Sorry I don't top it with oil like some people. I just don't like a big bite of hummus, smothered in even more oil. You see, I make my own Tahini ( I use this recipe from thekitchn)  and well, I see all the oil added to it, and I feel as if smothering the hummus in oil, just isn't the best way to go. Coming up with this recipe was rather fun, and scarey. When I made it, I had never tried hummus before. I was dreadfully curious and thought I'd make my own ( I like having control over what goes in my food) plus I have a confession...I hate chickpeas unless they have really good seasonings, and even then sometimes I can't stomach them . It turned out so good ( I loved it, didn't turn my stomach at all!), and creamy.  Below is the recipe, remember to try to use organic. Also..some of the seasonings aren't typical hummus seasonings, but I don't care, it's just too good.


Creamy Garlic Lemon Hummus 

* 1 can Chickpeas ( Garbanzo Beans)
* 2 Tbsp Tahini  
* 4 Cloves minced Garlic  
* 1 Tbsp Lemon Juce 
* 1/2 Tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
* 1/8 Tsp Onion Powder
* 1/4 tsp Cumin 
* 2 Tbsp Water
* Salt to taste 
* Feta cheese and Pumpkin Seeds to top ( Optional) 
* Assorted Veggies and Pitas/Crackers to dip 

Directions: 

A small note on the Tahini recipe. I use Cocoanut oil in place of olive oil. 

Add the minced Garlic to the food processor, process for 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients except Toppings and veggies/pitas/. Process till smooth, scraping the sides down as needed. Once desired consistency is achieved, serve cold or room temperature with veggies, pitas, crackers, and cheese.

Enjoy :)