Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Sparkpeople

Well a couple years ago I ran across a website called spark people. Sparkpeople is a community of people who are interested in losing weight, sustaining their weight, or just have a general interest in nutrition. They have all kinds of useful information and some counters and charts to keep track of things like weight loss, nutrition, exercise, etc. Plus its free.... So unlike alot of those other websites that I don't use because they cost some absurd amount this website is great and costs nothing but a few minutes to update everyday. Plus they offer blogging and talking to people in the sparkpeople community about just everyday life. I have been going here for a long time and I am still uncovering some of the features that I haven't tried out. Like the Healthy cooking sections where there is Chef Meg who teachers you how to make some of your favorite dishes more healthy. She has alot of good ideas. But there are tons of nice features to try out.


Last time Sparkpeople  helped me loss 15 lbs but over the last couple month I have put about 4lbs on and then over the last 2 years I had put 4 lbs more on. So I am starting Sparkpeople again. I would like to loss (if my scale is right... it gave me three different #'s this morning... ) 25 to 30lbs. Which is a pretty good chunk of weight. For me that is were I want to be. That is were I will be happy.
This is part of the main page...
I have also decided what part of my reward will be when I meet this goal.... A new tattoo. I haven't had a tattoo in 5 or 6 years because I am not sure what to get and they are pretty expensive.  But I am excited. I want to get a Vegan Tattoo sooner or later and I am not sure what to get... any ideas??? I have seen a couple I like but I really wanted something original... Or I have also wanted to get a tattoo of my three dogs, or their paw prints, or names... So I am really not sure yet.

I will still be blogging about food. But probably not as often as last year. Hopefully I will still try alot of new things and also show some old favorites but it really all depends on how many calories I can have a day and even though Sparkpeople says its ok to have upto 1,550 I would like to stay around 1,200 which comes with small meals that have few ingredients.

One thing I do find hard when I am trying to lose weight is the fact I really do love food. I love to cook, I love to try new things, I like to experiment, I like to go out with my husband and have dinner, and try new Restaurants... Our lives revolve around food... When I was younger when I did weight watchers I was a really picky eater. I didn't eat many different things, I had some foods I always stuck with, and I never went out and ate... Which made it alot easier to lose weight.... So now I crave a hundred different things a day and have to figure out ahead of time what I am going to eat for the next couple of days. That is the only way I find I stick to the program and not go over in calories.

Sparkpeople also has a vegetarian option and they will give you a menu for the day. Most things you will have to take the dairy out of. But they do have a few good Ideas. One of my favorite lunch/dinners came from there original vegetarian menu. It is no longer on the menu but I am posting it here.

A baked potato, 1/2 cup kidney beans, and broccoli. I add smart balance light w/ omega 3.  This is such a good meal. Most of the time instead of broccoli though I use green beans it easier but it doesn't have all the  nutritious benefits of broccoli... But I love this!!!! and it is my dinner for the day... :)

They also have a White bean chili that is pretty good and easy to make.

They used to have alot more option on there meal plans for vegetarians then they do now but don't let that stop you from trying there website. It still has a huge bank of foods that you can search click add the amount you wish to eat and it will give you all the information and track it for you.

This is the recipe section that has a ton of vegan recipes.
And there are many different ways to search so you can get just what you are looking for.

Below is the vegetarian options they have on their meal menu. Once you put them on your screen then you can just  not click on the dairy stuff and it will not add it to your calories.
Already listed Breakfast options
Already listed Lunch options

Already listed Dinner options

Already listed Snack options

This is were I entered in my food for breakfast and lunch. It was super easy and quick.  Plus say my smoothie isn't in my menu list then I can click the button and tell them to add it to a certain day. But you can also put it in your recipe box or you menu plan so that you can choice your exact meal that you planned for one of the days and it will save it for the future.
This is my Breakfast smoothie which I had made differently then what I have in my menu
so I just looked up the chances and did it this way. This is the Banana Oatmeal Fuel from 500 Vegan Recipes.
My lunch although I actually planned on having their planed pinto beans, broccoli, potato, and apple sauce...
I decided to have left over pasta and red sauce instead. See the little boxes over to the
 left those are the boxes you mark to say what part of there meal plan you ate.
Although I haven't ate my dinner yet.. This is what I am going to have...
 Except the katchup and mustard... it was with my snack just got put in the wrong place.. oops

My snack and my daily total.. So I went over my 1200 calorie goal but I was still in my limits :)

This is the meal calculator. You enter in all your ingredients. How many portions it makes and then
 it will give you all the nutritional info you need for you nutrition tracker. Plus you can
add it to your recipe box and to your menu for future use.
This is some of my recipe box.I enter alot of vegan cookbook recipes to add to my menu.
You can also share the recipes from your recipe box with other sparkpeople users.
And you can use there recipes and add them to your menu, or recipe box for further use.

This is part of the exercise trackers. This is what I was supposed to do today..
and did I do it... No.. My back still sucks? 
Here is the quick tracker... If you don't want to use the other portion.
 Plus this add your goal minutes up to let you know you totals for the year.
This is some of the other things in the community section were you can connect with every one...

They also have tons of articles on just about everything health related and even more...

This just touches the top of what Sparkpeople can offer you. It does so much and all for free. So check it out you won't be sorry and it may even help you shed a few pounds or just learn something new about nutrition or exercise.

Simple Yummy Pasta Sauce

I seen this on the Martha Stewart show yesterday and I was craving pasta so I said what the heck and made it. Its simple, good, cheaper than on organic jar and you don't have to stand in the kitchen and chop up a hundred things. I like it :)


Red Pasta Sauce

2- 28oz Cans Whole Tomatoes ( I used organic)
2 cloves garlic (I grated it, She chopped it)
1/4 cup olive oil
I used a little dry basil... She added something green but didn't say what it was.
Optional- Pinch Red pepper flakes
Then I let it boil for an hour. She said to boil it 30 minutes but I wanted more flavor to develop. Then at the end add a small amount of salt and pepper to taste and your done.

Simple and easy. She also added it to the pan with her pasta and a little starchy cooking liquid to let it cook a bit more. I didn't
Next time I might add a few red pepper flakes to give it some warmth. But I really liked it.

The yummy sauce in all its glory :)

This one had a little added Vegan Parm.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Book Three of 2011: Keri Nelson's Vegan Moon

This story is about a werewolf turned vegan and a small business owner turned TV chief. Looking through channels on his tv one day our werewolf friend comes across our newly famous hottie and instantly possesses the need to have her. But somethings are beyound his control.

Not much into short stories and I didn't know this one was a short till after I had purchased it on my kindle. Short stories normally leave me wanting more character and plot details.  And all though I wish there was more story it was a quick & satisfying read that only takes like an hour at most. The story was catchy and kept me interested. And although the ending was abrupt it was cute.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Book Two for 2011: Flutter book 3 of Amanda Hocking's Series My Blood Approves

The My Blood Approves Series by Amanda Hocking has been really good so far. This book is just as good as the first 2 books. Fate, the second in the series, right now is my favorite though.  I am loving this series and can't wait to read the next book. Part of me wants to put it off to see if she is going to write another book in this series. It has been so good I don't want it to end that soon. The characters are well thought out and I am loving the plot and the characters. I have to pull myself away from these books just to get anything done around the house. Wisdom is the 4th book in her series and I am dieing to read it.... I even might get Letters to Elise which I wasn't sure I was going to read. It is written from Peters Perspective to his 1st wife. But I think I like Peter so much that I am going to go ahead and read it to understand his Character a little better. I am pulling for Peter. I don't know whats going to happen but again I am loving the series and can't wait to find out!!!

Please keep this series going. I haven't found a series I have read clear through since the Sweep series like 6 or 7 years ago and it was 15 or 16 books. So I am in it for the long haul and I am sure that all of the My blood Approves lovers are too. 

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

My Book of Books

As I rather affectionately call it, has been last for a couple years now.

John and I used to hang out at the book stores all the time. For hours we would just sit and look through books and very seldom purchasing any. We enjoyed our days of laziness and thought provoking reading materials. They were carefree and fun. I would write down those book titles on the back of receipts and extra paper I found floating through my ever messy purse... But I would loss them or drop them and I would never see them again. So one day I found these cute little folders and purchased 2. I didn't know what I was going to do with them but then it dawned on me. A Book of Books.... I would keep a ever running list of all the books I want so that when I come home I can price them online and order them when I had the extra money. For a long time I kept this list. With everything from Animal rights to Children books and Vegetarian cooking to Religion and from Birthing to environmental science... One day my beloved Book of Books came up missing and I thought I was long gone being left at one of my frequented book stores.... But yesterday as I cleaned some of the clutter out of the room that we consider the Animal Room, which houses a bunch of junk as well as animal stuff, and a couple book shelves... I was looking down at some photo albums and was amazed to find my Book of Books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know how it ended up there but it was atleast still in our house! I was so happy!!!! and I still am now I have to update all my purchases and add on to the books I want list... Which just to catch up on could take forever. But thats ok.... Because I love it... lol :) Happy Days are here again........  lol  :)   :)  :)

Organized.... I love to look at things that are totally organized...lol
There were other sections aswell. Sections for movies, Which I had never gotten around to filling out,
 a section for Misc. Merchandise, a section for books I own which I had
started many times and gave up one because we have so many books, plus other misc things.

This was my make shift way of making up for the loss of my Book of Books.
Which I would use ever so often. Not very organized though  :(

But still loving that my Book of Books has been found..... This is just one of those everyday type .... blogs that are of no concern to most.. But hey I will remember it ...lol

Oyeah this time ever so often I will be scanning it and keeping it on the computer just incase....  ;)

Friday, January 14, 2011

More Collecting

Can't believe I found these cute little salt and pepper shakers. I have really been wanting a set.
They are made by Pyrex and is in Crazy Daisy (Spring Blossom Green) but does also come in a few other colors.
1970's


These are also Crazy Daisy (Spring Blossom Green). This style of the cup is from 1972. 
Butterfly Gold Corelle

Butterfly Gold Plates from 1970

ButterFly Gold 1970 and Old Town Blue 1972
Buttery Fly Gold 1970 w/ Crazy Daisy (Spring Blossom Green) 1970
I love mixing and matching the sets. I love the way they look together.

These are Oval Pyrex Plates With Brown Filigree.
These are vintage restaurant ware and I really like them.
I bought 9 for $3 which is a killer deal. 

Not sure what year they are from.
If anyone knows please let me know! :)
Corelle .Don't know the year on this one either.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Thrifting for Pyrex, Corelle, Corning, & Fire King


I have been thrifting quite often lately trying to find a full set of antique Crazy daisy Pyrex bake ware and plate set and Friendship Pyrex bake ware one piece at a time. Which is hard for me because I get super excited to find them and when I don't I come home and look at all the pretty Retired Pyrex on ebay and laugh at the outrageous shipping and I know Pyrex is heavy but when you are charging 19.99 to ship on casserole dish or 12.99 to ship one plate that is excessive. I did order one set of Friendship casserole dishes off ebay last year. It was a set of Three and it only cost 13.03 to ship the whole order here. I wish people would get with the program and learn that if your merchandise isn't selling its because your prices are to high. If you are going to try to get your money through shipping charges then don't mark the merchandise up so high... And get you shipping charges estimated before you just pick a number!

But here is some Dishes I have purchased and some info about it.

Not Pictured is 3 Pyrex Refrigerator Dishes, One 1.5 cup Primary Red 1940, One 1.5 cup Butter Print 1949, and One 1.5 Quart Butter Print dish and a Small Yellow Pyrex bowl that I am not sure what set it goes with. Also Butterfly Gold saucers and cups.

Pyrex
Friendship Casserole Dish- 1970

Friendship Casserole Dish- 1970- Entire set

Primary color Mixing Bowl- 1940- This is the largest of the bowls in this set.

Primary Color Mixing Bowl- 1940 This is the smallest of the bowls in this set.
Primary Refrigerator dish- 1940

Spring Blossom Green also known as Crazy Daisy 1970 Separated veggie dish

Spring Blossom Green also known as Crazy Daisy 1970 Separated veggie dish
Spring Blossom Green also known as Crazy Daisy 1970 Small mixing bowl

Spring Blossom Green also known as Crazy Daisy 1970 Casserole dish missing lid

Spring Blossom Green also known as Crazy Daisy 1970 
Crazy Daisy Corelle- 1970

These are Pyrex Bowls with Clear bottoms but haven't been able to find a date.

If anyone knows the date please let me know!  :)
Pyrex Butterfly Gold 1970 smallest mixing bowl

Corelle Butterfly Gold 1970 Serving plate

Pyrex Butterfly Gold Gravy Boat 1970

Butterfly Golden Pyrex Butter bowl 1970
Woodland Brown, Corelle, 1978

Pyrex Americana 1960's Casserole dish, I also  have the separated Veggie dish for this set. 
Fire King
Fire King- Prim Rose -1960's
Corning
Corning- 1970's ? I never really watched that many episodes of that 70's show but last night it came on
after the show I was watching and this pattern was in one of the kitchens...

Corning Spice O'life Date?

(: I love collecting these dishes and can't wait to go out and search for some more soon :)