EARTH TACOS... are for skeptical people!

January 1st, 2012 was approaching quickly and for the first time in my life I wanted to make a serious New Year's resolution. “Let's commit to detoxing for one week after the holidays!” - “Let's eat ONLY veggies for 2 weeks!” … I remember sharing both of these “not really resolutions” with Nathan as I cautiously tip-toed around the BIG idea that was tugging at my brain, heart, and stomach. We settled on “3 vegan meals every week for one year.” Growing up Catholic, I was used to fasting on certain days of the week/year. This was going to be a piece of egg-less cake!

We LOVE LOVE LOVE tacos. Beef, pork, chicken... if it fits in a shell and can be topped with guacamole we will eat it! I figured this would be a safe enough place to start. I came out of the womb a strong-willed, skeptical baby girl, and after 25 years I am now just a well-seasoned, strong-willed, skeptical woman! Let me paint the picture for you...

1 pot of lovely long grain, brown rice

1 pot of organic lentils

1 pot of white corn

1 large skillet of HAMBURGER MEAT

… I was convinced the “EARTH” tacos would fail and I was ready with some taco MEAT when that happened!

Yea, it was love at first bite. The cooked taco meat went straight back into the freezer and I eventually had to throw it out because it got frost-bite sitting in the freezer for so long. We fell hard for the vegan/whole foods lifestyle and have not turned back.

This recipe is tried and true. We love it. Our kids love it. The earth loves it. Non-vegan company loves it. I think this is a good place to start if you're wanting to flirt with an animal-free lifestyle.

No cholesterol
Fat free
(unless you make guacamole –
which I think you should!
But then you are dealing with
GOOD fat that God put there for you!)
Protein
Vitamins
Fiber
YUM

Here's how you do it...

Your “meat”:

Long grain brown rice

Lentils

White sweet corn / chopped red pepper
**cook/prepare these separately then mix together with these seasonings...

Cumin

Chili powder

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Paprika

Sea Salt
**just do what tastes right for YOU and your family! Add a little – then add more if needed.

Toppings:

homemade guacamole (I usually prepare 1 avocado per person)
2 ripe avocados – spooned out of shell (SAVE SEEDS!)
1 tsp. minced jalapeño
¼ C. finely chopped onion
sea salt and garlic to taste
**mix together and throw in the seeds! A good friend, from Mexico!, taught us that the seeds help preserve that “green” color we are so drawn to with fresh guacamole! It works!

shredded romaine or kale (we LOVE kale on our tacos!)

fresh salsa

cilantro

lime wedges

Stuff all of the above into a healthy tortilla! Think: all-natural, organic, unbleached, wheat, corn, etc. We love El Milagro's all-natural corn tortillas. Very authentic. Viva la Mexico!

Needless to say, the “3 vegan meals a week” - has turned into more of a lifestyle for our family. My brain, heart, and stomach are pretty happy about that!

An Eternal Favor

Lately I feel like everyone is getting engaged, getting married, having a baby, or celebrating an anniversary! Makes me happy! I LOVE LOVE! In light of all the LOVE in the air, I decided that I wanted to share what Nathan and I gave as FAVORS at our wedding three years ago this summer.

Hard to believe that three years have gone by. Just like that. I never dreamed we'd have two BOYS or be a suburbian family this quickly. But here we are! Living and loving! Ok.... so back to our wedding favors!

We went round and round with ideas.

Candy?

Candles?

CDs?

Bottle toppers?

Coffee mugs?

Nothing was really jumping out at us. Our relationship and engagement was anything but ordinary (for those of you who walked with us - you understand!), so we wanted people to walk away with something that matched who we are as a couple. I think it was Nathan's idea: “Let's pray for people!” … as the CEO of our DIY wedding I was a little flustered with this idea. How would we “give” this to people? The more we thought about it, the more excited we became with the idea. This was the PERFECT favor for us to give to our guests – a perfect reflection of what originally drew us together in the first place... JESUS :-)

So we broke it down. 5 friends/families were assigned to a given week leading up to our wedding day. It worked out on a 6 month plan. We each carried a list of who we were praying for THAT WEEK and offered prayers, sacrifices, masses, etc. for their intentions. It was BEAUTIFUL for us to spend our engagement (8 months) PRAYING for all the friends and families that would be invited to witness the glory of the Sacrament we were about to share.

At the end of the week, usually Sunday night, we would get together and write out little note cards to the assigned friends/families to let them know how we prayed for them and any other thoughts that came to heart... and we were sure to mark the dates that we prayed on the card too!

At our reception, we took a moment to explain to everyone what “favors” they would be taking home. “We decided to give an ETERNAL FAVOR to all of you today...” We had at least a dozen people come up to us during the reception and afterwards after receiving their notecard and express how the timing of the prayers and intentions were perfect. God is PERFECT, huh?!?

“Every good and PERFECT gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting shadows.”
- James 1:17

eat your heart out, Betty Crocker!

I live vicariously through the lives of Food Network stars. Food and health are such a passion of mine. For the past couple of years we have been working through some of Nathan's health issues and allergies, and this past January we decided to take the “cure” to a whole new level! I was tired of him being sick and living on Immodium ALL THE TIME. No fun. After doing some research, talking to doctors and a nutritionist, and watching Forks over Knives (and being HIGHLY inspired by a good friend!).... we knew what had to be done. Goodbye, animals. I would say we are 90% vegan. The remaining 10% is now dedicated to better quality animal products once (or twice if we need a yummy veggie pizza!) a week. Grassfed, organic, cage free, hormone/antibiotic free... makes such a difference on the earth and our bodies! People literally freak out on me all the time and want to know where we are getting protein, calcium, B12, etc. I usually encourage them to check up on what grains, veggies, and fruits are packed with! It is all about balance and rotation! Nathan is healthier and only sick when he splurges on something like a Portillo's polish sausage. SO THANKFUL that what comes out of my kitchen keeps him HEALTHY! My kids are full of energy and don't have to deal with the highs and lows of high fructose corn syrup, artificial dyes, white sugar, etc. We feel GREAT as we run on plant power! I try really hard to not bring cow's milk or eggs into our home. For Isaiah's 2nd birthday I wanted to branch out and try to make some vegan chocolate cupcakes! Now – I would not classify these as “healthy” - but I would say they are “healthier” - because they are egg and dairy free and I used mostly organic products! They were a hit. Even my anti-chocolate husband ate TWO! Pretty yum. I highly recommend you try them out. They'll make your eyes roll back inside your head. Promise. And if they don't.... you can send them over to my house! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE ZAY! Momma loves you!



3 C. unbleached all purpose flour 1 ½ C. organic (minimally processed) raw cane sugar 1 tsp. sea salt 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder ½ C. unsweetened cocoa powder ** run these ingredients through a sifter, create well, and set aside. 2 C. almond milk PLUS 2 tbls. Apple cider vinegar – (let stand for 5 minutes) ½ C. mild tasting olive oil 3 tsp. Vanilla **pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well (do not over mix)... then add... ½ C. vegan chocolate chips (chopped into tiny pieces)!!! … I like EnjoyLife brand. Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes (give or take) – for CUPCAKES. Longer for a 9x13?



Top with fresh strawberries, vegan chocolate cookie crumbles, peanut butter, whatever makes you happy! I made a dairy-free whipped vanilla frosting out of vegan margarine with flaxseed oil, powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond milk! We topped the frosting off with Newman-O's dairy-free chocolate cookies! HEAVEN.

I'm Not Scared of Babies...

So yesterday I landed myself in my OB's office with a lovely case of MASTITIS in my left breast. How's that for an opening sentence?! TMI? Lol. I couldn't get in to see my primary doctor who is pretty Catholic and awesomely supportive with Natural Family Planning... bummer. But I am pretty sure I shocked the doc on call and I hope he thinks about our conversation in the days to come :-) He must have looked at my chart and seen that I am not signed up for any prescribed birth control because he looked up at me and with much concern asked: "DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN GET PREGNANT WHILE BREASTFEEDING?!?!?!?! And you have a nine month old... it is TOTALLY POSSIBLE!" "Yes, I am well aware that I can get pregnant," I responded with a calm smile. "Well, you should tell your hubby to wear a condom," he said only WAY too nonchalantly. **uncomfortable laughing** ... "I am not scared of babies, doctor. Crazy... but... umm... believe it or not... we've chosen to be OPEN TO LIFE!" .... **doctor fidgets with my paperwork** "Well, just saying!" he finishes off. I was DUMBFOUNDED that he didn't even ASK if I was interested in having another baby. Nothing. Just straight up shot to the conclusion that I must not want any more kids right now since I have two boys under the age of two. I actually asked him if he was familiar with Natural Family Planning! He didn't know a whole lot and I think he summed everything up with, "Fertility is such a mystery." Yes, it is, doctor... yes, it is! A GOD-GIVEN mystery that we are privileged to share in with our spouse inside of MARRIAGE!!! I have a pretty cool spouse. I am so thankful that he respects GOD, me, and himself enough to refrain from using contraception. Very blessed. Just saying. Wanted to share this article that I wrote about a year ago as a church bulletin insert... (it is a rough draft - have mercy!) ... It was a warm summer day, August 14th, 2009, and I married my best friend. I think that most women can remember a time when they spent hours daydreaming about prince charming, a wedding, and happily ever after. As little girls we play house and baby - intricately weaving together a tapestry of what life will be like when we grow up and have a REAL husband and children. Fortunately, life was not meant to be lived out in a 3x4 dollhouse with plastic rainbows and butterflies that delicately decorate the front lawn. No, the real thing is not so pretty and organized, but it is a wild and wondrous life that brings much more joy than the imagination could ever possibly conjure. Two months after our wedding we were blessed with the news that our first child was on the way. This was it! We were married, going to have a dozen children, and it was going to be as easy as my parents made it look when I was growing up! Wrong. The doctors informed us that my uterus has been deformed since birth, and that the chances of any of our babies surviving the womb are less than 40%. It was a miracle that we even conceived, they said. After nine months filled with tidal waves of fear and emotion, I delivered, by the grace of God, our healthy, beautiful son, Isaiah. No greater joy. Nothing on earth can compare. You, who are already blessed to be parents, understand that even the daily hardships of having children: sleepless nights, teething tantrums, dirty diapers, etc. are NOTHING compared to the immense delight that children bring to your home. God has given us such a unique gift inside the sacrament of Holy Matrimony; the gift of being co-creators with Him. From the beginning, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28), He has been calling us as husbands and wives to be generators of life - for souls that are destined for Heaven. Most people don't realize that during a Catholic wedding ceremony the couple is asked to promise if they will be OPEN to receiving the children God has planned for them. This can be a scary commitment for some. What does this mean? You are promising in front of God, family, friends, and your spouse that you will not use any form of artificial contraception to prohibit God from using your union to produce children. The world tells us that avoiding children, having it your way, is best. Lies lies lies. God is never outdone in generosity. The REAL rainbows and butterflies are found in the field of obedience to the Lord and His Church. The REAL rainbows and butterflies are found in the fruit of the daily labor and sacrifices it takes to raise kids these days. Due to the fact that I had to deliver Isaiah via c-section, on top of having complications with my uterus, my husband and I discerned that it would be best to postpone pregnancy for at least one year until healing could take place. No, we didn't use “Catholic birth control,” but we used Natural Family Planning; the ONLY method the Catholic Church confirms as a moral way to space children under grave circumstances. Pope Pius XII states in Humane Vitae that these grave reasons must fall under one or more of these categories: medical, eugenic, economic, or social implication. He also goes on to say that it “Would be a sin against the very meaning of conjugal love for couples to use natural spacing methods for their own selfish benefit or growth.” Please see the encyclical, Humane Vitae, for further explanation. The beauty of using NFP is that there are no physical or chemical barriers between spouses. They are simply offering the fertile period of a woman's cycle up to the Lord as they fast from intercourse for a time. God is the Wild Card with NFP! There is always a chance for life when contraception is not involved. Proof of this, my husband and I conceived our second child only SIX months after the birth of Isaiah. Not what we had in mind, but God was ABLE to work inside our union and create the child that HE wanted us to receive. As scary as the news was for me, I knew in my heart that everything was going to be ok because GOD IS IN CONTROL. There is joy in being one - Lord, husband, and wife - and from that union of surrender comes great JOY IN LIFE! We are blessed with two children and I am thankful that we do not live in a dollhouse! The world of plastic people and magical make-believe cannot hold a candle to a life in the flesh lived out in the midst of real rainbows and butterflies that only God can supply.

Date Night!

I am one lucky girl. Nathan and I started dating about 6 years ago. And YES I say “started” because MARRIAGE and TWO babies have not put a damper on our “dating!” Now date nights have changed a little bit, but we still seize opportunities to relish in ALONE TIME! We can't just take off and go wherever we want at a moment's notice, but we CAN still come up with AWESOME, in-home date ideas that let each other know that we still care to have fun with and romance each other! People ask us all the time what we have up our sleeve for our ritual FRIDAY DATE NIGHT. We typically take turns planning.... this week was my turn! Nathan desperately wanted to tent camp over Memorial Day weekend and I just could not wrap my momma brain around that idea! “Can you tell me how we are suppose to work out naptime and bedtime with two kids under two, babe?! IN A TENT WITH NO AC IN 90+ DEGREES?!?!?” Yea... we still went to the lake for the weekend, but NO tent for this family... until tonight!!! We actually haven't pulled out the “baby maker” as it was affectionately dubbed at our wedding shower for a couple of years now. Tent camping was easy when it was just the two of us! Ohh and no children have actually been conceived in “Coleman” ...as of today. LOL. Always a chance with being OPEN TO LIFE I suppose :-) So I am hoping that my hubby is thrilled to see the tent complete with “stars” (Christmas lights! Good for more than the tree!) when he walks in the door after we grab some American/Bohemian food later this evening! I've got some s'more equipment ready for the gas stove and a movie rented to watch after I kick his butt in Chess. As of right now the tent is actually serving as GREAT entertainment for my two boys that are LOVING crawling in and out of the flappy door! Zay keeps running around saying, “Papa! Papa! Tent! Tent!”.... the little punk better not give it away before we get home from our dinner out at Bahama Breeze! Ten bucks says he blows it. But I am happy that the secret will be spilled by our two year old. I want our kids to always know that their mother and father LOVE each other so much that they keep God first - and each other second.... then come the wedges. Uh... I mean children. Haha. Here's to FRIDAY DATE NIGHT!!! How do you guys celebrate DATE NIGHT?