Weight Watchers Reward!!

Got my 25 pound loss reward tonight at my Weight Watchers meeting!!!

Made my own tofu press :)

I looked online and couldn't see my self spending the kind of money they wanted for tofu presses. Plus I don't know how durable they are. Sooooo I decided it was time to make my own. Of course I am a cheapskate so it had to be inexpensive. I thought and thought of different ways to do it and make it easy and quick because I am a homeschool momma to 3 rowdy boys. I got it:

I went to the dollar deals and got 2 ordinary loaf pans... We are so far at $2 

They have to nest each other...Like so...

Then I took a sharpie marker and marked the bottom and sides where I need to drill my holes...

Now I drill...

If need be you can sand the holes smooth...Then you place your pan on a plate or whatever you want it to drain into...

Then if making homemade tofu now's the time to drape your cheesecloth into and over the edges of the pan then pour in your tofu wrap it in the pan or if store bought drain the water outta the pack and drop the tofu into the pan... I am using store bought here...

from here you place the other pan on top of the tofu and add weight, because it's a pan the weight just sits right down in the pan...add as much or as little as needed... I use a baked bean can for this demonstration...

As you can see the water drains into the plate. You may have to drain the plate to prevent overflow... I actually have a large sauce pan that I use. The press hangs perfectly on the sides of the sauce pan that way I don't have to drain it in case I need to leave.

Final cost $2 and about 5 minutes :) Enjoy

Plan Ahead...

One of the best things I have found to do when “dieting” and being vegan is to plan ahead… I only work on Saturday and Sunday and the place that I work has nothing but unhealthy, deep fried options. Not to mention extremely over priced. 

Sooooo knowing this I plan ahead. It’s funny how everyone around me gets something from the deep fried easy yet they always want “just one piece or bite” of whatever I am having. If I don’t finish my lunch they are all over it. lol. Any way tomorrows lunch is picture worthy so:

The layers are from bottom to top… watermelon, pineapple, canteloupe, banana, grape, strawberry, blueberry and yummy kiwi… :) My husband sure knows how to (earth balance) butter a girl up…

Happy 4th Birthday To My Love Dove

Happy Birthday to the brightest star in our life. Surely stars must have danced in heaven on the day you were born. 

I wish for you all the happiness that you have brought to all those you know. 

Thank you, child, for giving me so many reasons to smile.

You have brought so much light and joy to your daddy, your brothers and me with your unique laugh and nonchalant humor. When you had your accident last month and we didn't know if you were going to be coming home again I felt a giant void in my heart that would never have been refilled. I am so blessed to have you here with me and I will never take that for granted.

And though you are growing more and more everyday you will always be my youngest, my baby boy and my love dove... May your 4th birthday be great and may they only get greater from here... I Love You So Much Jole Lyndon Xaide Brown and may you never forget that today, tomorrow and always.

I love you around the world...and back 

Jelly Legs...

Just done 80 squats and my legs are like jelly…. 

Now as soon as I can walk again

 I’m gonna go make supper….

We are having carrot dogs tonight... 

Yay! 

A family favorite

:)

DIY vegan friendly "vaseline"

How to make your own vegan friendly "vaseline"

Homemade non-petroleum jelly (aka diy “vaseline”)

Ingredients

1/8 cup grated Candelilla Wax (about 1 ounce)
1/2 cup olive oil

Method
Combine wax and oil in a small saucepan. Melt over very low heat or in the top of a double boiler. Pour into a jar to cool. 

Also you can sub candelilla wax for carnuba, soy or bayberry wax…Whichever is easier for you to get… 

I’m thinking he wants attention...

No, Now I’m thinking he demands it…

Mini Peach Cobbler- Vegan Yummyness

Mini Peach Cobbler Recipe

Preheat oven to 350˚F.
1 cup splenda
1 cup flour2 tsp baking powder
a dash of salt
3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 stick of melted Earth Balance butter
brown sugar
cinnamon
1 can diced peaches (drained)

Put 1 tsp of melted Earth Balance butter into each regular size muffin tin.

Combine the first 5 ingredients by hand… splenda, flour, baking powder, salt and soy milk.

Put 2 tbsp of batter into each regular size muffin tin… on top of the melted Earth Balance butter.

Then put 1 tbsp diced peaches on top of the batter.

Sprinkle with brown sugar and then cinnamon. I do a pretty generous “sprinkle”.

Bake the regular size muffin tins for 12 minutes.

Let them cool almost completely before taking out of pan. 

Don't forget a dollop of vanilla soy ice cream...YUM!

Changing the world one person at a time...

I am a mother of 3 boys. I am trying my hardest to raise 3 men. In doing so I have done what I can to teach them love not hate. That there is beauty all around us and that there is a silver lining in most situations. Sometimes you have to search for it but it's there. No I have not clouded them into delusions of grandeur. They know there are bad people and bad things out there. 

Any way my point is I work hard, I play hard and I love hard... My husband says that the most tragic thing about me is I am always trying to save the world and in the end only hurt myself. I am so empathetic it's sometimes painful...

So I am trying to keep from "saving the world" and just impact those I come in contact with...thats my little way of saving the world one person at a time...

When I started this blog it was because I decided it was time that I lost "a ton" of weight and I thought if I could share my journey with people that it may help someone. Well turns out I have inspired many people right here in my town. I get so many amazing messages on my FB from people that I know. They are struggling with their weight and trying so hard to lose it and have been inspired by me and my story. 

So the moral of my little ramble is I love that I can help people just by being me :)

Are you serious...

I’m not normally one to get political or rant a lot. 

I have the “live and let live” type personality.

 I am however very passionate about the things I believe in 

and when asked about them I will tell you how I feel. 

I feel like this is something that needs to be passed around… 

This is wrong on so many levels…

10%

I recieved my 10% at Weight Watchers…. Yay!!!

I have literally worked my butt off for this!!

Love Dr. Suess

Check This Out… 11 Unbelievably Awesome Uses For Cauliflower http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=5642&catId=2

I thought this was neat stuff

http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=5642&catId=2 

3 whole (awesome) months...

Today is exactly 3 months that I have been “dieting”

I am down 39.4 pounds and never felt better… 

I have changed so much in the last 3 months

let’s see;;;hmmm

I am training for a marathon in May

I am currently in the middle of the extremely hard sqat challenge

I went complete Vegan, I was pescetarian…

I wore a skirt I hadn’t been able to put on since 2004…

Just a ton of awesome stuff happening in the Brown house… 

So any way the point is that the last three months have been nothing short

of ridiculously awesome!!!

So get out there  and do something. It’s spring, you are alive and don’t

forget to Live and Let Live!!!!

My boys new vegan shirts we made...

My boys got new shirts made today :)

Darth Vegan

Vegan Zombies Want GRAIINNNNSSSS

Vegan Second Generation

Mid-Afternoon Snack

This is one of my faves…. Roasted Cauliflower Nuggets :)

Popeye...The Original

I love this

I yam what I yam…..

The best totally vegan white lasagna...

This lasagna was so good… 

White Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:
2 t extra virgin olive oil
2 (10 oz) packages frozen chopped spinach leaves, defrosted, rinsed and drained 
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 tub of  baby bella mushrooms sliced
Homemade vegan alfredo
8 oz tofutti cream cheese
1 c homemade vegan cottage cheese
1 T minced fresh parsley
½ c grated homemade vegan parmesan
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 c homemade vegan italian cheese
3 teaspoons oregano, divided

Directions:
1.    Preheat the oven to 350.
2.    Pour the olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach, zucchini and mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, to soften vegetables. Combine vegetables with alfredo sauce and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
3.    In a small saucepan, melt the cream cheese over medium heat. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in cottage cheese, parmesan and parsley.
4.    Spray a 9/13 baking dish with cooking spray and spread the vegetable-alfredo mixture evenly across the bottom. Top vegetable layer with 3 lasagna noodles, followed by the cream cheese mixture and 1 ½ t of oregano. Lay the 3 remaining lasagna noodles over the top and cover with the reserved 1 cup alfredo sauce. Sprinkle the Italian cheese over the top and the remaining oregano over that.
5.    Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Yields 9 servings. Weight Watchers Points Plus:  8 per serving