Transformation Tuesday #64

Happy Transformation Tuesday! I've taken several "before" photos this week but so far, I don't have any "afters", haha. On Sunday night (after I'd written my to-do list for spring), Jerry told me that the roofers were coming at 8:00 the following morning. I was totally unprepared for that! They worked yesterday all day and they will be finishing up today. I hate having to spend so much money on something as boring as a roof, but at least now we don't have to worry about it for a long time. The before and after pics may not even be worth sharing next week, but we'll see.

Anyway, I have some jaw-dropping transformation pictures from readers to share today...

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Here are some photos of our primary bath transformation. I'm not a bath person (I do not find it relaxing; three minutes in and I'm thinking about all the other things I could be doing instead). It's small for a primary and we wanted it to feel bigger so we removed the tub/shower combo and replaced it with a tile shower.  I think it makes the room feel so much more open. I found the vanity on Houzz and just knew I had to have it! It's the same size as our old vanity and takes up a lot of space but I'm ok with that.

- Lynnette

Lynette, this is STUNNING. The colors, the shower, the vanity, the floor... all of it. (By the way, I'm not a bath person either. We removed the bathtub from our master bathroom because we never used it!) Your bathroom looks wonderful!  - Katie

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I bought this house last spring. It needed a lot of cleaning and updating. Here are a few before/after pics.

- Anne

Anne, I am truly speechless--these are some of the most dramatic before and after pictures I've ever seen! The floors and fresh paint alone make the house look brand new. I think a lot of people would have a looked at it before and thought it would be too much work to update--but it's absolutely stunning! I'm sure you must love it.  - Katie

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Thank you so much for sharing your pictures! These are such dramatic before and after photos--so much fun to see. Please keep the transformations coming--if you have a transformation, just send me a before photo and an after photo at: katie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com. I'd love to see them! Don't forget to include your name and a description of your transformation. (The transformation doesn't have to be as dramatic as these; I love seeing the little five-minute transformations too. It's inspiring!)

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What I've Been Eating Lately

A couple of weeks ago I said I would post what I've been eating lately now that I'm following a vegan diet. I still hesitate to say that I'm "vegan" or "plant-based" because it's only been a couple of months. It's kind of like when I started running... at what point could I call myself a runner? It took me almost a year to finally use that word.

So, for now, I just say that I'm eating a vegan diet: no meat, no dairy or eggs, no honey, or any other animal products (like gelatin). I am not going to be writing about it much because I don't want to become one of those preachy people that pushes my diet on other people. I still believe people should eat what works for them! But the more I read about plant-based diets and watch documentaries about it, I'm super convinced that I'm doing the right thing--for health reasons, ethical and moral reasons, and environmental reasons.

If you want to watch a great documentary (that is NOT meant to be a fear tactic like slaughterhouse videos) I just watched one yesterday on Netflix called 'The Game Changers'. It's about athletes who thrive on a vegan diet, but also all of the reasons why it works so well. I wasn't super interested to watch it at first because I'm not an athlete, but it was a really good entertaining documentary that I think everyone should watch--not to try to convince others to become vegan, but to learn what a plant-based diet does for your health and body.

Anyway like I said... I'm not going to write about this stuff much because I know it's annoying to meat eaters--and this isn't a "vegan blog". If there is something that I really find interesting, like that documentary, I may mention it.

Okay, so some people have asked what I've been eating lately. My breakfast and lunch are always the same--only because I really like them! I'm sure I'll get sick of them sometime in the near future, but for right now they are working for me. And they provide a lot of nutrition.

Breakfast:

I quit drinking decaf coffee and now I drink herbal tea that has my required Vitamin C for the day. I eat Grape Nuts cereal with almond milk (I currently use Silk brand unsweetened almond milk, which I discovered I like better than the Blue Diamond brand I was buying) and frozen blueberries. I also take a B-12 + D3 vitamin and a calcium complex. I was taking a multivitamin, but I was getting much more than necessary of most vitamins, so I just chose the ones that I was having a harder time getting. (Even without those, I'm sure I'm getting way more vitamins than I did before I started eating vegan.)

I know this looks really gross! The milk turns purple from the blueberries and gets super cold, even a little slushy. But it's SO GOOD.

Notice the little decor on the counter next to it: "Dear Vegetarians, Thanks for saving all the good food for us." Hahah! For the record, at the time I picked those, I thought it was funny while not at all true. Just a fun one to include.

Lunch:

In the mornings when I make my breakfast, I also prep my lunch. I make Cold Almond Joy Oats in a mason jar:

40 grams old-fashioned oats
5 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
8 grams coconut
13 grams chia seeds
10 grams vegan chocolate chips (I like the Enjoy Life brand)
140 grams (just over 1/2 cup) of unsweetened almond milk
8 grams maple syrup
a few drops of coconut extract and almond extract (optional)

I just mix put it all in a mason jar and shake it up really well, then I put it in the fridge to thicken until lunchtime.

I also have fruit with lunch; usually a pear.

Dinner:

This is where I change things up. Sometimes I have leftovers so I don't waste them, but I do like making different things. Cooking without meat is SO much more enjoyable. I always hated prepping meat.

So here are some of my dinners. Some are kind of unusual--things just thrown together--and some are actual recipes.

Barley with white beans, mushrooms, and cauliflower. I don't remember what sauce.

Beans and Rice (recipe on my blog)

Chickpea Tikka Masala --If you only try one recipe here, TRY THIS. I've been making it for a few years now and Jerry and I love it. (I just realized I don't have the recipe posted. I'll do that soon!)

Mushrooms, chickpeas, and barley with stir-fry sauce

Garlic & Chickpea Soup (find the post here)

Sesame Chickpeas with broccoli and barley (see recipe here)

Indian Lentil Soup (recipe here)

Keema with a couple of modifications to make it vegan (non-vegan recipe here)

Lentil Bolognese (post here)

Olive Tapenade & Hummus Pizza

Olive Tapenade (recipe here)

Super simple--just quinoa and peas. I love peas!

Tastes much better than it looks! Ratatouille with quinoa (which is buried under there)

Sesame Chickpeas with rice

Sweet & Sour Chickpeas with barley (Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe can be found here on my blog; I just modified it to make it vegan)

Whole wheat pizza crust with tomato paste, mushroom, caramelized onions, and peppers

Tacos with mushroom/cauliflower taco filling (post can be found here)

Here is my favorite "junk food" dinner for when I don't feel like cooking. These "buffalo wings" are AMAZING. The kids and Jerry tried them and none of them could tell they were vegan because they look, feel, and taste just like chicken nuggets (with a spicy breading). I cook them in the countertop oven (it's a convection oven, so essentially an air fryer without the fancy name). 

And dessert! I don't eat dessert very often. (Yes, I actually said that! I was the queen of dessert, but I just haven't been craving it lately.) I made these vegan brownies which I posted about and they were heavenly. Again, you'd never know they were vegan. (Find the post here)

I love ice cream and I almost didn't even try this "non-dairy frozen dessert" because I *knew* it wasn't going to be anywhere close to ice cream. But it was really good! I've since discovered their peanut butter chocolate fudge (or something like that) is even better. I've tried the Ben & Jerry's non-dairy as well, but I couldn't even eat it; it had a funky taste. But the Häagen-Dazs is delicious and Jerry even said he'd get that just as soon as he'd get actual ice cream. 

And this dessert is bewilderingly delicious. It sounds completely weird but I encourage you to try it! (It's supposed to be a dip but I like to eat it out of the bowl, haha). Here is the recipe.

Cookie Dough Dip

Snacks:

The only snacks I eat are between dinner and bedtime. They vary a lot, but sometimes I'll have a tiny little cup of peanut butter (I have a bunch of plastic one-ounce Jello-shot cups from way back in the day, so I just fill that). And yes, I eat it plain! Or sometimes I mix dry oats into peanut butter. Sometimes I'll eat almonds or cashews. Sometimes a Larabar. Hummus or tapenade with pretzels. It varies depending on what I'm in the mood for and what we have in the pantry. If I do make a dessert (like the brownies) I'll have that.

Okay, well that's what I have on my camera roll as far as food goes. I don't miss meat or dairy in the slightest. I haven't gone out to eat yet, but that's not unusual; I don't really like to eat out. I have a lot more energy and motivation since I started eating vegan, which is encouraging. I just feel healthier! My chronic pain has let up a LOT--I'm not sure if it's the diet change or if I'm just having a good couple of months, but it's been nice.

Now, if only my knees would cooperate (and I don't throw out my back again!) I should be good to go, hahaha.

Like I said, I don't plan to make my blog about a vegan diet, but on this post, I am curious about what other plant-based eaters eat! So feel free to share your favorites.

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My Spring "Wishful Thinking" List

Happy Spring! Today marks the first official day of spring and I couldn't be happier that winter is over. Although, Michigan always surprises us with a big snow storm in March and we still have 11 days left in the month, so we'll see. But I'm hoping that the gorgeous weather we have today is going to stick around.

This was from 2017:

I've been trying to think of things that I want to get done this spring--something that I do every year, even though I usually only knock a couple of items off the (very ambitious) list. So, I figured that I'd write my list out here on the first day of the new season and then take another look at it on the last day of spring.

1) Get a new roof. We fought with the insurance company after a storm destroyed parts of our roof, but they said they'd only cover the parts that need to be fixed--they'll pay to replace a few pieces of siding on the house and the shingles that were damaged. How ridiculous is that?! We've been paying homeowners insurance for 19 years. You can't get a contractor to replace just some of the roof or some of the siding.

So, we're using our tax refund + some of our savings for a roof. No fun at all! But at least it'll be done; one less thing to worry about. The siding is going to have to wait; that is going to cost $35,000!!! And we need new windows. But... one thing at a time. And this spring, we're getting a new roof. We've already signed a contract and they'll get started as soon as the materials are in.

2) DO SOMETHING WITH THE LANDSCAPING. Right now, there is nothing there. It looks terrible. If I ever have an "after" picture to show, I'll post the "before". But it's embarrassing.

3) Go through the house and touch up any spots that need paint, caulk, etc. The house settles differently during the winter and some things need touching up.

4) Paint Noah's bedroom. I was supposed to do this last week but time got away from me.

5) Clean out all of the kitchen cabinets, the pantry, the fridge and freezer, and the oven.

6) Clean the windows, inside and out. Clean the blinds.

7) Paint a couple of pieces of furniture that I bought on Facebook Marketplace to refinish, but couldn't work on because my carpal tunnel flared up big time. I'll have to do this a small bit at a time to keep it from flaring again.

8) Possibly extend our front porch. The price of lumber has gone way up again, so this may not happen.

9) If money allows, I'd like to replace our exterior doors. I just finished reframing the side door but we need new doors themselves.

10) Start summer at my goal weight. I'm not going to be a total freak about the number, but I'd like to aim for 133 and work really hard to get there.

11) Have a game night with friends. Jerry and I used to do this frequently, but it's been two years.

12) Plan a family vacation for late summer.

13) Fix loose boards on the back deck and then power wash and stain the whole thing (Jerry will help).

14) Make appointments for my "old age" tests: a mammogram and a colonoscopy (most people don't need one until age 45, but my mom had something abnormal on hers and the doctors told her that her kids should have one at 40). I also need to schedule my regular check-ups with my primary care doctor and gynecologist.

15) Catch up on email. I feel so guilty every time I look at my inbox, and I think it'll feel great to finally reply to personal emails. I love reading email! But since I am so wordy all the time, I always wait until I can sit down and write a thoughtful response rather than a brief reply... and then I just forget to go back until it's been an awkward length of time!

Okay, I think that's it. See? Ambitious! But if I can knock at least a few of these off the list in the next three months, I'll be thrilled.

I'll end with the random fact of the day:

I don't remember the last time I had a Toblerone bar (I think I've only had a couple of them in my life--they make me think of airports. And Joey from 'Friends' when he was obsessed.) This fact didn't actually surprise me; I'm curious how many they sell. I'd rather have a ton of smaller bars that an enormous one. How would you even eat that? But I do love chocolate :)

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Vegan Recipe Review: Lentil Bolognese

If you get this in your inbox today, I apologize! I accidentally unpublished it and then when I republished it, I'm afraid it'll go to inboxes tonight. Sorry!

I've gotten pretty lucky so far since starting these vegan recipe taste tests--just finding a vegan recipe online and making it, then writing about it--because I've really enjoyed the recipes so far. Last week's brownies were so amazing!

I have a Pinterest board with more recipes than I'll probably ever make, but I use it for inspiration when figuring out new recipes to try. That is where I found this recipe for Lentil Bolognese, found at i heart eating.

I love lentils and have been eating them for years. I even have a couple of accidentally-vegan recipes with lentils posted on my blog ("accidentally" means that they just so happened to be vegan). Two of my favorites are this super simple four-ingredient Lemon Lentil Soup and the almost-as-easy Lentil Chili. One of Jerry's all-time favorite dishes is the Lentil Chili.

I haven't eaten much pasta this year because I've been working on eating a lot of fiber and pasta just doesn't have much at all. (I've tried some of the pastas that are made out of other grains and I didn't care for the taste and/or texture.) This Lentil Bolognese recipe sounded good to make for Jerry and me while the kids were in Hilton Head (they don't love lentils).

Since I like to follow the new recipe exactly as written, I actually bought celery for this. I am NOT a celery fan--I really hate the stringy texture--so it was tempting to skip it, but bolognese always starts with onions, carrots, and celery. While I don't like to eat celery, I *do* love to chop it! I slice the ribs lengthwise into a few pieces and then crosscut into little slices. There is something really satisfying about slicing celery--so weird, I know.

The ingredients are pretty straight-forward--nothing weird ;)  It calls for red lentils, which I thought would be a nice texture because they get softer and creamier than brown or green lentils. After sautéing the carrots, celery, and onion, you basically just dump the rest of the ingredients into the pot and let it cook for 20-30 minutes until lentils are soft.

It made a HUGE amount, so I figured I'd be eating leftovers for days. I was surprised at how thick it got. It was almost like mashed potatoes-thick, so I added some extra water to thin it out a little, but it was still a thick sauce. This is what it looked like before I added a little water:

At first, I cooked one of the pastas that is made out of quinoa and a couple of other things, just to get in more fiber. However, it was terrible and Jerry and I both agreed to just dump it in the trash and use good old white pasta.

I wish I could say I loved this recipe, but honestly, I didn't even eat the leftovers. Jerry didn't care for it, either. The sauce was extremely thick, like I said, but it didn't really coat the pasta once I mixed it together; it kind of clumped up around the pasta instead. The flavor was kind of underwhelming, too, which surprised me because there is a large amount of dried basil and oregano in it, as well as seven cloves of garlic.

It looked delicious!

It smelled good and made the house smell good while it was cooking. It's possible I did something wrong, but I've made pasta sauce 10,000 times in my life and I am confident that I didn't make a mistake following the recipe ;)  I may try making another "lentil bolognese" by adding lentils to my homemade marinara--I like the idea of a lentil sauce!

Reading the reviews of the recipe, I'm clearly in the minority on this one--most people seemed to love it--so if it interests you, give it a try and let me know what you think! Here is the recipe link: Lentil Bolognese from i heart eating.

Here is a (probably controversial) random fact of the day!

I've been saying this for years (that you can lose weight while eating junk food as long as you don't eat too many calories). But we all know that weight loss is different from health. I believe you can eat nothing but junk and lose weight (as this guy did); but I also believe that the consequences of eating like this for the long-term would make your health suffer.

Also... I would feel SO crappy eating like that day after day. Even after going on vacation and eating more junk than usual I feel gross and bloated and I just crave healthy foods.

I read an article about Haub--which you can find here--and there is more to the story than just what the random fact states:

"Low calorie" is relative to his previous consumption; on this junk food diet, he was eating 1,800 calories a day. Two-thirds of his calories came from junk food; he also took a daily multivitamin, drank a protein shake, and ate a serving or two of vegetables. He was supposed to do the diet for just four weeks, but when he saw that he was losing weight, he continued until he reached a normal BMI. Finally, once he added meat back into his diet, his cholesterol went back up.

I think it was a cool experiment, but I don't like that he continued the diet past the four-week experiment phase. He's a nutrition professor teaching students about nutrition, but when he saw that he was losing weight by eating nothing but junk, he continued and said "it's unhealthy but the data doesn't say that". His agenda became more about personal weight loss than teaching his students about nutrition--because what did they really learn?

Anyway, that's just my two cents!

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Friday Night Photos

It's Friday--woo hoo!

Not that I really "need" a weekend; Jerry and I had a very lazy and fun staycation this week. The kids came home from Hilton Head last night; we picked them up from the airport at 8:30. It was really great to see them! While it was fun having the house to ourselves and not having any responsibilities all week, Jerry and I really missed the boys.

They'd gone down to Hilton Head to spend some time with my parents on vacation. Jerry and I aren't "beach people" so we aren't interested in going down there, but I'm glad the kids were able to. They had fun and my parents were thrilled to spend time with them.

Noah even walked 12,000 steps on the beach with my mom one day!

Considering Eli has been really into weight lifting, he went to a gym a couple of times while he was there. I'm super impressed that he did that. Clearly, he's modest about showing off his muscles... ;)

Meanwhile, the most active Jerry and I were (other than our training runs) was playing board games. We love Ticket to Ride; we also played The Oregon Trail (board game). The Oregon Trail was fun, but there are SO MANY rules to remember that we were looking things up each turn, which meant it took us well over two hours to finish a single game, hahaha.

I had the rule book right in front of me the whole time

I forgot to post this the other day when I wrote about our thrift store finds. Does anyone remember this "beauty mirror"? I used to have one! The lights next to the mirror had a few pastel filters--I can still remember the *thunk* noise and the feel of sliding the light colors between office, evening, and home. So funny!

Jerry and I made homemade pizza for dinner one night and this was my vegan version--it was SO SO GOOD. I made my whole wheat pizza crust, then spread it with roasted garlic and tomato paste with Italian seasoning. I topped it with sautéed mushrooms, peppers, and caramelized onions. Who needs cheese?!

 

I finally did something I've been really intimidated by and it worked out great! I'd never made a box joint before and I wanted to try it with my table saw. I don't have a dado stack (blades for the table saw that can cut out more material) so I had to make a jig in order to do the box joint. The pieces below are just scrap wood that I used to try it out. The joint fit together perfectly! Not too loose and not too tight (I have to be able to put wood glue in there). The edges are a little long, but I did that on purpose so that I can sand them down. I'd rather have to sand a bit than have them be too short and leave gaps. This corner joint probably took less than three minutes once I had the table saw and jig set up. I wish I'd have tried it sooner--it was so easy!

I mentioned yesterday that I took Joey with me on my run and how excited he was to go with me--look at his smile! This was while I was filling his water bowl after our run; he just watched me with a big smile on his face.

I thought this picture was too funny not to post. This was after we were back from the run and he plopped down on the floor while he cooled off. I went to take a picture of him and he looked up at me in the most unflattering way--you know how when you turn on your phone camera and it's flipped to selfie mode, so you just see a big double chin? This picture of Joey reminded me of that, haha.

Finally, here is the random fact of the day:

Have a great weekend! xo

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