Today, despite being a Monday, was my Sunday.  Sunday is my meal prep day!

It's one of my favorite days of the week.  I think my Sundays would be a hell on Earth for those that don't enjoy cooking, cleaning and organizing but I happen to LOVE being in the kitchen.  

This week is especially busy between social activities, board meetings, Lacrosse Booster Club meetings, fundraising events, working out, and the time I usually spend staring off into space.

These are the weeks where planning and organizing my meals is especially important as I won't be home enough to plan out and execute healthy meals.  I need things that are easy and I can grab and go.

Menu:

• Breakfast Congee
• Quinoa & White Bean Burgers
• Tomato Salad
• Roasted Delicata Squash "Chips"

This will give me breakfast, lunch, and healthy snacks until Friday.
With everything being Vegan, there really isn't anything that will go bad so the longevity of the meals is fairly extensive in comparison. 

When I cooked with meat - I had a 1-2 day window (at most) where I'd be willing to eat leftovers or transform left overs into a new meal.  It was a 1 day window if I had made something with seafood so me not eating meat / seafood / dairy is an amazing thing from a cost savings perspective.

BREAKFAST:

Breakfast Congee:  For those of you that aren't familiar with the greatest most versatile meal on Earth - let me introduce you to congee.

Congee is essentially a rice porridge made by boiling rice in a shit ton of water.  Like more water than you'd think appropriate.  Get to that point and then add more. 

It beaks down the rice into a pudding-like consistency.  

Serve it sweet or savory.  It's a blank canvas for really anything.  This is a breakfast congee so I added sweeter elements to mine.  

Congee is often used to promote good health and strong digestion.  According to TCM, because congee is so easily digested and assimilated, it harmonizes digestion, and also supplements blood & qi (life energy).  Congee can relieve inflammation and nourish the immune system.   I actually didn't think of stringing those words together - Scott told me all this like a year ago and it has been widely published in many journals of Cancer & Nutrition, etc.  

For me, It's just really yummy ... all the other stuff is added benefit. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup rice - I used Jasmine 
• 6-8 cups water - it depends on 1. how long you plan to cook it and 2. what consistency do you like.  

HOW TO:

• Take that rice, throw it in an rice cooker or instapot (whatever you use to cook rice)
• Add water 
• Cook for a couple hours.  In my rice cooker - I have a slow-cook setting.  I use that on high and it's ready in 1.5 hours.
• As you shut the lid you're going to think there's NO WAY this will ever cook but it will.  The rice to water ratio can be as high as 1:10 and it will gobble up every drop of that water!

----- That's it ... That's Congee -----

TOPPINGS:

• Maple Syrup
• Coconut Oil or Butter / Butter substitute (Earth Balance is amazing)
• Vanilla or Almond extract
• Dried Fruit (I used Cranberries & Cherries)
• Pecans / Peanuts (I smash the peanuts with a rolling pin and it adds a peanut buttery quality)
• Toasted coconut (coconut chips) - great textural component
• Chocolate goji berries 
• Dash of Salt
• Sweetened Coconut Milk

You can add ANYTHING to it.  Figs, Dates, Honey, Berries, Chocolate Chips, etc.  

For meal prep- I portion out 4oz which comes to about 270 calories - you'd think with everything I put into it it would be massively high in calories but it's not - I throw in enough to give it great taste and texture but I'm not eating a bucket full of this.  Very careful with the portion size.

LUNCHES & DINNER

Quinoa & White Bean Burgers

This is another recipe that really encourages you to do whatever you want.  Look in your pantry - don't have cannellini beans - so what, use black beans and make it a Mexican spiced burger.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Quinoa, cooked according to directions (1 cup Quinoa to 2 cups Water)
• 1 can Beans (cannellini, black, etc) smashed up (far left photo)
• Spring Onions (I used 3)

SEASONING:
I had a jar of pesto on hand so that was the primary flavor profile in this week's burger.

Note: If I hadn't used pesto which has a high oil concentration I would have added a few tablespoons of Olive Oil to help bind the mixture together.

HOW TO:

• Cook Quinoa according to box / bag directions
• Drain Beans / Rinse and smash them into a paste in a large bowl (far left photo)
• Season the beans using whatever flavors sound good to you - I used Pesto
• Add cooked Quinoa to Bean Paste (second photo from left)
• Mix well and shape into patties when cool enough to handle (third photo from left)
• Leave in Refrigerator to cool completely / set.

TIPS:

• Make sure that you can form a patty otherwise they will beak apart as you pan "fry" them
• Separate layers with wax / parchment paper - lining the bottom of whatever you are going to store them in.  
• Use a spatula to get them out of the container, try not to use your hands or handle them roughly as they don't have the same ability to bind like a burger would.  I think by not smashing them into really thin patties is the key to keeping them together.

COOKING:
Hot pan and a bit of oil - Sear them on both sides which will actually crisp up the Quinoa - they have the most amazing texture.

I do a few things with the cooked patties:
1. Burger obviously - I may use a bun or most likely a lettuce cup
2. I add them to salads like a deconstructed burger (sans Bun)

The salad is my lunch tomorrow (estimated calories = 260 calories)
The burger was my dinner tonight ... when I thew everything into MyFitnessPal - dinner came in around 434 Calories because I added avocado, the greens were dressed in olive oil and lemon, and I used a potato bun (130 calories), etc.
The actual burger is 130 calories.

SNACKS:
This week I'm having tomato salad and roasted delicata squash as my between meal snacks ... Both insanely simple and fairly calorie net neutral.

Tomato Salad:

• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Lemon
• Basil
• Spring Onions
• Olive oil & Champagne Vinegar

​Roasted Delicata Squash

• Delicata Squash (which is really hard to find now - use Acorn)
• Olive Oil
• Curry Seasoning (or any seasoning you like)

Roast in a 370 oven for as long as you want to get the desired doneness.  I like mine carmelized and on the darker side as they become great for dipping into things.

Greatest thing ever: One evening, I went next door to my amazing neighbor's house and saw that she doesn't remove the seeds when she cooks her squash. 

I would have never thought to do this which is so strange as I love eating roasted pumpkin seeds so why not leave them?

It really makes these so much better and texturally interesting as the roasted seeds compliment the buttery softness of the squash.  I love squash and somehow this little trick makes me love them even more, which I never knew was possible.

Sliced relatively thin, seeds and all - I tossed these in olive oil and sprinkled them with:

• Tumeric
• Curry Powder
• Salt
• Garlic Powder
• Crushed Red Pepper

Roast in 370 degree oven for 35 mins - flipping at half way point.

I'm almost certain that you can't easily find delicata squash this time of year - buy Acorn - it's the exact same process just a slightly different shape. 

How do I have so many you ask? Because my neighbor bought several cases of them when they were in season.  They will last months and months. 

I actually bought a case but had eaten all mine.  I feel that I should ration them out so I can make them last a bit longer but it's one of my favorite things to eat.

I don't have a great deal of self control in general so we'll see how long they last.

As a final step after cooking is to portion everything out into individual serving sizes. I weigh everything.  I tend to stick to 4oz portion sizes unless it's raw vegetables, then I will eat usually as much as I want.  

I'm not stressing over the difference between 2 cups lettuce versus 3 cups but I do watch what I put onto my raw vegetables.  I don't avoid fat as it's an essential part of maintaining a healthy body & brain.

In my current approach to eating, I'm entirely plant based, eat no sugar and try to limit my refined carbs.  I am comfortable with small portions of whole grains such as quinoa, millet, etc.  But I'm not going to freak out over eating a potato bun with my veggie burger.

Combined with what I eat is WHEN I eat - I eat between 10 am and 6 pm.  That also explains why I need to be in bed by 9:00 pm and watch television in my bedroom.  Otherwise I get very snacky and make my way into the pantry.

​I'm up late tonight and am starving.  Will have a cup of warm water with lemon and call it a day.

​Enjoy your week!!

January was an absolute crap month for me - I was dealing with deadlines, travel and being so overwhelmed with my daily life that I wasn't able to do my typical meal prep / planning.  I didn't work out, I didn't spend anytime on my pilates practice and my morale was in the crapper.

It's no longer January - the month of bad decisions ... It's February which means I'm back to my normal routine.  Thankfully.

Meal Planning & Prep is a huge component to my success but I don't have a ton of free time so I need easy and delicious go-to's that I enjoy and keep me on track.
​
Nothing is easier or yummier in terms of creating easily portable and Keto friendly meals than Egg Cups.

Most Sundays I make different versions of Egg Cups as I find if I have them at the ready, come Monday morning, I can just grab a portion and head out the door.  This reduces the chance I'll grab a ketosis killing snack at the office. 

Anyone that works for a software company is familiar with the typical start up company kitchen - they are always crammed full of pop, snacks, sweet treats, beer, etc. Combined with lunch being brought in many times a week - there's temptation at every turn. 

With a bit of planning I can stay on track - these are one of my favorite items to have on hand.

Today I made Sausage & Ricotta Egg Cups:

Ingredients: 

• 6 Eggs
• Spicy Sausage - 1/2 package (tube)
• Whole Milk Ricotta - 4 oz
• Cream Cheese - 4 oz 
• Parmesan Cheese 
• Cheddar Cheese
• Heavy Cream - (1/3 Cup)
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder
• Spray Oil (coconut or olive)

How To:

• Combine Eggs, Cream and Ricotta together using an emersion blender.  This is the preferred way for me as I like to have a really smooth consistency - additionally it adds a great amount of air to the mixture creating a very light and airy texture. 
• In a muffin / cupcake tin, spray with oil to prevent sticking
• Add sausage 
• Pour in Egg Mixture - I actually mix everything together in a bowl and transfer it to a large measuring cup to make it easy to control the amount I'm pouring into the tin.  These rise a lot so I usually fill them about 3/4th of the way
• Add cubes of cream cheese - I usually do two cubes per egg cup
• Sprinkle with Parmesan and Cheddar Cheese 

Tip:

• Place your muffin tin on a sheet pan just in case you overfilled them.  This will prevent any spill over
• Adjust the ratios to your liking - like sausage?  Add as much as you'd like.  Hate Cream Cheese?  Don't use it ... 
• I make so many different variations of these - the only thing that remains the same are the eggs & heavy cream ... everything else I switch around depending on what I have on hand and what I'm in the mood for!

Place in a preheated oven (375) and bake for about 30 mins. 
​You'll know they're ready when they have risen, are firm to the touch, and the cheese is a beautiful golden brown.

For those of you that have shared that I use too much cheese - I think you may need to take a step back and really evaluate your life through a critical lens.  Something is wrong.  I'm worried about you.

​I announced I was going gray 15 months ago.  Woman have to announce such things as people will become concerned that we have abandoned all self care if our roots become too long.

So, this was me - 15 months ago on the day I announced I was going to just let my hair go gray.
​
By this time my home had been chemical free for years - I make most of my cleaning supplies yet I was still coloring my hair, religiously, every 3-5 weeks.

​I didn't go in for just touch ups - I went in to go from black to gunmetal gray or to color the underneath layers a bright color such as pink / blue / green, etc.

I loved changing my looks, I loved how it made me feel, I loved people's compliments & reactions. I always loved how a new look could make me feel fresh and new when perhaps things weren't going so well and I didn't much like certain aspects of my life, at the time.  Color is like the "Break Up Hair Cut" only not as hard to grow out.

That said, I was having a really hard time reconciling how uncomfortable I was using chemicals in my home but I was still slathering them all over my scalp / hair.  It just seemed like I should be more concerned with what I put on and in my body than what I used to cleaned a toilet.

I made the decision after thinking about it for a bit so I texted my hair stylist Jenna and we came up with a plan!

Once we had a plan, I shared my plans on a few social sites and with people at work. I found people were very divided on the topic.
Here are some of my favorite comments / concerns:

• "You're so incredibly brave" ...

That's right - it's me and first responders in terms of bravery - they save lives and then there's me; a woman brave enough to look her age which I guess for a woman can be heroic.  But why is it brave for a woman to look her age?  It may have something to do with the following comments I received:

• "You're going to look like you're in your 40's" 

​I am in my 40's ... I'm not a zygote ... what else should I look like?  Maybe they were worried I was letting out a massive female secret.  Like someone would see me and then slowly glance over to their partner in a moment of realization that maybe she looks like that too?  Am I divulging something that women don't want men to know about? 

• "Aren't you worried no one will find you attractive" 

​GFYS - No - why would that even cross my mind?  I don't think a man has every looked at me and thought "if only her hair was a little darker, she'd be okay"

• "Oh I would absolutely LOVE to do this but my husband would be repulsed"

Of note: the woman who said this is drop dead gorgeous with a husband that looks like a troll and has ear hair that can be french braided but HE'D be repulsed.  Okay, that's reasonable.

• "I have a job interview coming up so it's just not a good time to look like that"

Are you interviewing to be a teen hair model?  Because if not - your hair color has NOTHING to do with your ability to kick ass in the work force. Though it's interesting - I had an interview 6 months into my grow-out and it never occurred to me to be worried about my hair.  I remembered thinking I looked especially great that day. I got the job and still look cute as a little button each and every day except that one day I wore a ponytail and a coworker hated it. 

Few concerns aside, I found most everyone to be super supportive.  Strangers stop to tell me how much they love it.  A few days ago a guy stopped me in a stairwell to tell me how great my hair looked - he thought I colored it!  On the way to Boston a woman at Starbucks ask how long I had been growing it out and I could see her working those numbers in her mind so perhaps I'll bump into her in 15 months and we'll be twins!

I do get a good bit of "I'd love to do that, but ... " and I always ask why there's hesitation.  If you love it - do it.   Many just say that they can't ... maybe they are worried about not being found attractive or maybe they don't want their gross troll husbands to be repulsed?
Girl, Go Gray If YOU Want.

Anyways - here I am as of today - I was standing in a bathroom with the harshest light ever and I looked in the mirror and I had a moment where I realized just how much I love my hair. 

​I love it.  I love the way I look, I love how gorgeous the silver and white bits are.  I love how it all blends together and looks as though I have strands of Christmas tinsel woven into my hair.


​Best Decision Ever ... AND ... I have saved nearly $4000.00(WHAT?)
Transition Tips:

• Come up with a transition plan with your stylist.  I texted Jenna and told her what I was thinking.  At the time, my hair was recently dyed black.  I had been coloring my hair since I was 16 and had no idea how much gray there'd be. 
• You have 3 main routes:

1. Cut your hair short and just go from there.  Get rid of your color and just let it grow out.  We decided against this one as I had just grown out a pixie cut with a shaved side.  I didn't want to do that again but I did consider this option seriously.  Jenna and I talked about this and decided this would be our last option.
2. Just stop coloring your hair.  This was actually my initial route but I had a really harsh line of demarcation between what was coming in and the dyed section.  I wasn't thrilled with the thought of looking at that for 15-24 months.  
3. Have your stylist remove the color from your hair. I believe we used a Prana color remover (corrector) that can be used up to 3 times without damaging your hair.  Whatever color it can get out is where you land basically.  Between each application, Jenna used a deep  cleanser to open the hair shaft a bit to maximize the efficiency of the color remover. We then used a gray toner to remove any yellow tones in my hair.  This will not work if you have box-dye on your hair.  So if you have color on your hair that came from a box this option is unfortunately off the table for you.  I absolutely loved it.  In fact the photo at the top of this post is the result of that appointment.  

• The longer your grow out becomes, the more edges you can remove.  During my last appointment (August) we cut about 4 inches off.  At this point, my hair is entirely natural with out any remaining color or odd ends. Because my hair is so healthy and my layers are growing out so well, I actually haven't needed to go back since that cut.
• If you're in Denver / Boulder - call Jenna at Boulder Beauty Bar.  Please tell her I miss her.
• Use purple shampoo and conditioner.  If you are worried about your gray looking dull - there are many shampoos made for gray hair that makes it super shiny and neutralizes any yellow tones.  I actually haven't used one in a long while mostly because I ran out and have been too lazy to order more.  I also haven't noticed a dullness or lack of shine. But I have tried many and found two that I really like: 

Clairol Shimmer Lights 
Viral Gray or Light Blue 

That's it!  I hope if you're considering making the leap - this helped a bit.  I'd love to hear of your progress!!

I LOVE to make most of the products we use around the house - it's shocking how easy it is to make body scrubs, deodorant, lotions, facial cleansers, household cleaning supplies, etc. 
One of my absolute favorite items are Lotion Bars and it's funny because I hadn't thought about them in a while until my friend Niki gave some of the ones she made (shown above) for Christmas!
​
I can't even properly articulate how much I looooove these bars.  I get a lot of compliments on how soft my skin is which sounds a lot more "Buffalo Bill'esque a la Silence of the Lambs" than I intended, but I do. 

The thing is, I don't have soft skin - I have really DRY skin since moving to Colorado.  I use A LOT of lotions and potions to keep my skin in great shape.  That said, Lotion Bars make it so incredibly easy to not look like you're a human / lizard hybrid.  

I have no idea what Niki used in her magical lotion bars but you can start making your own with a handful of ingredients.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup Coconut Oil
2. 1 cup Shea Butter (this is what I use for lotion bars and in my deodorant recipe) you could use cocoa butter as well
3. 1 cup beeswax
4. Essential Oils (I use Doterra Religiously)  Ones I like for lotions: Lavender, Peppermint, & Lemon

Directions:

1. Measure Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, and Beeswax in large glass jar.  I use mason jars.
2. Place jar in saucepan - I usually do about 1/4 way up the jar as you don't want water spilling into the mixture so keep it low enough it doesn't boil into it.
3. Once completely melted - Let rest off the heat for a few mins.
4. Add essential oils and stir.
5. Pour mixture into silicone mold.  
6. Let mixture harden two to three hours. Store until ready to use.

You'll absolutely LOVE these - they are so easy and it blows my mind these fell off my radar - Thanks Niki!!

Additional Tips & Tricks:

• You can actually pour these into empty deodorant containers that you can buy online
• I actually ran out of shea butter once and just used the Coconut Oil and Beeswax
• I have also added oatmeal to the bottom of the mold before pouring in the mixture to make it a bit more exfoliating. 

• You can do so much with this base recipe, it's really hard to mess it up.  By swapping out a few ingredients you can have a deodorant bar!  It's very cool to make things for yourself and your friends & family where 1. you can pronounce everything in the product and 2. everything is natural and chemical free.