Creamy White Bean Soup

2 cans white beans
1 large onion
3 ribs celery
3 carrots
frozen spinach
3 cans veggie broth
1 can pumpkin
Spike Veg-It Seasoning
Nutmeg
Curry Powder

Saute onion, celery, and carrots in 1 T oil. Add beans, broth, and spike seasoning. Allow to simmer until veggies are tender. Puree about 1/2, ad remaining ingredients to taste.

Black Bean Goulash

About 1 c diced onions, carrots, and celery
2 red potatoes
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 Morningstar Farms black bean burgers

Saute onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms until soft. Add potatoes and a few tablespoons of water, cover and let cook until potatoes are soft. Thaw burgers until soft enough to cut, then dice into small chunks. Add to pan, and saute until warm throughout. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tofu & Quinoa with Gravy

Azumaya Seasoned Tofu--Asian Flavor
1 c quinoa
2 cans vegetable broth
McCormick Salt Free Garlic & Herb Seasoning

Spray a baking sheet with canola oil spray. Slice tofu to desired thickness (I like it about 1/2" thick) and place on oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes on each side (or until it has reached desired firmness).
In the meantime, put 1 can vegetable broth in medium saucepan and turn heat to high. Rinse quinoa well, and when broth has begun boiling, spoon in quinoa (it's too heavy to pour in, you'll burn yourself!). Cook for 15-20 minutes, until water is absorbed.After removing all quinoa from the pan, turn down heat and let 1-2 tablespoons of butter melt. Put enough flour in pan to absorb butter, and cook for a few minutes. Slowly pour enough broth into the butter/flour mixture to thin to gravy-like consistency. Add a small amount of McCormick Salt Free Garlic & Herb Seasoning (or seasoning of choice) to gravy. Use gravy on it all :)(Oh, and next time, I'll be sure to have some broccoli or another veggie side.)

Curried Jasmine Rice with Peas

1 cup jasmine rice, sauteed in saucepan with butter, then slowly add 2 1/2 cups water (add about 1/4 cup, stir until semi-absorbed, add another 1/4 cup, stir until semi-absorbed again, and continue to do so, keeping temp high). Put on a lid and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and leave lid on at least 5 more minutes.

Add frozen peas while still hot, then add curry powder to taste.

Maybe coconut milk would work with this? I also may add frozen veggies (if I can afford them). Or spinach.

Basic Black Beans

I'm very poor. So poor, in fact, that I probably will not be able to purchase food for at least 2 more weeks.
I've been looking around the house for substantial things to eat, and found a bag of black beans. I've never made just, you know, black beans, but I was pretty impressed with how they turned out. They're definitely simple, not a lot of robust flavor, but sometimes that's just what you want, right?
So before I completely forget what I did, here's the gist:

1 bag black beans
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles
2 cans vegetable broth
1 can tomato paste

to taste:

brown sugar
cumin
garlic salt
black pepper

Cook in slow cooker 6-12 hours
Add:

1-2 cups tvp
1 can corn (or frozen corn)

Cook until tvp is tender.

Eat over rice, with chips, in tacos, on pasta, on taco salad, in a burrito, or however else it may be tasty.

Ideas for next time:

chili powder
maybe curry black beans??

Fast food is the devil!

I have been pretty good the last several weeks to not eat fast food. And now that I've had fast food twice recently, I think I'll go back to not eating it.

First off, it's about 50/50 whether I'm going to be irritated about some stupid mistake (both times, my salad was put in with my hot food. Hello!). But it's expensive, bad food that I simply don't want to eat any more. Oh yeah, and it packs on the pounds.

Stupid fast food.

Not much to say

I'm fluctuating in a 4 pound range, but it's 8-12 lbs less than what it used to be, so I can't complain too much. Not actively doing much to trim down, but trying to eat at least somewhat healthy. Sorry it's not more exciting!

9 pounds! Woo hoo!

I wish I could say that the 9 pounds I've lost has been due to some sort of work on my part. But the fact of the matter is, it's simply too hot to eat. I've been drinking water like mad (and feeling like I can never get enough in me) and eating only once or twice a day, and only enough to make me not hungry.
I'm hoping that in the long run, this will help shrink my stomach, so I may be able to work with this when the weather isn't stopping me from eating.
We'll see.

Boredom

So, I'm really bored with my overall diet, and am too lazy and poor to come up with new ideas. Also, the things that I am not tired of pretty much all involve cheese and other not-good-for-me things.
I need a major diet overhaul, and don't know how to begin.

The heart of the matter

Alright, I'm lazy and undisciplined.

More later.

What I ate today

Had Subway for brunch at 12:30. 6" veggie on italian herb and cheese with provolone, 1T mayo, vinegar & oil, and various veggies. 16 oz Dr Pepper and Sun Chips. Also had a mexi ice from Taco Time.

Haven't figured the points on this yet.

Beginning again for the first time

I have worked with Weight Watchers in the past, and have been very impressed with their program. I eat what I want. No restrictions. I simply have to track it.
I also was impressed with the results--I lost 15 pounds the first month and a half (unfortunately I do know that weight loss does not continue at that rate).
Another bonus: not only is Weight Watchers completely compatible with vegetarianism, veganism, or whatever veg state you may be in (or not), but really, it almost promotes it. The core plan screams veggie, and you'll go much farther on the points plan with lower point foods, which natural foods naturally are.

So I'm starting over. I plan to lose 30 pounds by September 30. I believe Weight Watchers is the best way for me to get there.


July 10: 30 pounds to go!