Tone It Up's 5 Day Slim Down Day 4!

Hawaiian "shrimp" (Sophie's Kitchen-Vegan Seafood) with pineapple salsa and kale.

Tone It Up's 5 Day Slim Down!

Hey guys! Tone It Up is back with a new and improved slim down just in time for the summer. With this slim down I'll be doing 5 days instead of 7 and I'll be incorporating more fruit, tropical smoothies and drinks. I'm on day three now. I wasn't able to post about this Monday and Tuesday, because I was held hostage at work all day. But, now I have some time to let you know how it's going.

Day 1

Monday morning started out great. I got my workout in, a protein pancake for my "beach babe breakfast", and a kombucha for my tankini. Then I headed off to work and grabbed some pineapple for my "one piece" of fruit. Unfortunately, my monthly friend decided to come along (I thought I still had a few more days) and so did the cramps. The rest of the night at work was a little rough. I don't have a mini fridge to keep food stuff cool, so luckily they held up in my lunch box with an ice pack. I brought a spicy mustard collard wrap for lunch and did my best to fight off cravings...and it definitely doesn't help when they load a bunch of junk food snacks on set. I had a chickpea patty with veggies and quinoa for dinner and some apple slices for my one piece. Being at work late into the night is the worst because the later you stay up, the more you want to eat but thank God the night was finally over. I didn't get in my second workout because I got home pretty late and needed to hit the sack so I could get up nice and early for work the next day.

Day 2


No booty call Tuesday morning because of a 6am call time. I had my Tone It Up "bomb shell spell" before leaving. When I got to work I had some sauteed veggies on top of potatoes. Potatoes are not part of the slim down but I only had a little bit.lol The rest of the day I followed the slim down completely and closed my eyes to the temptation around me. It was one of the longest days of work yesterday and I was super proud of myself for making it through the day without giving into my period cravings....and I really wanted some chocolate!!!lol It was late when I got home and I was totally beat from two crazy days of work so I didn't do my 30 minute workout but I did do the Tone It Up "Under the Sea" workout before bed.


Day 3

Garlic Meatless Meatballs In Tomato Sauce

I found these meatless meatballs at whole foods the other day and I decided to give them a try. I usually don't use any "meatballs" when I make pasta but it doesn't hurt to mix things up every now and then. On the Bodyrock.tv website they have an amazing tomato sauce that I've been meaning to try, so it was only natural that the two would go together (especially since they used meatballs in their recipe). I had to veganize it but it was so delicious that I'm sure non-vegans won't be missing any meat or dairy with this dish.

Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/10/25/garlic-meat-balls-in-tomato-sauce/.

Garlic Meatless Meatballs in Tomato Sauce


Ingredients:
-8 tomatoes (I only had one fresh one and I used 1 can of organic diced tomatoes)
-1 large red onion
-fresh basil (I had to use dried basil)
-parmesan (I used vegan)
-1 tsp paprika
-1 tsp cumin
-pepper
-extra virgin olive oil (I used a little coconut oil)
-honey (I used agave)
-1 cup chicken broth (I used low-sodium veggie bouillon cube w/1 cup hot water)
-8 cloves garlic
-sour cream (I used follow your heart vegan sour cream)
-vegan meatballs (You can use meatless grounds, match meat, or the meatless meatballs I used from whole foods)

Try and make your own version of this and let me know how it comes out! :-)

Yummy In My Tummy!

I found a super delicious recipe last week and I just couldn't wait to make it and share with you. The recipe is from Spabettie and it's for a Chipotle Tofu Potato Burrito w/chipotle vegan mayo. When I first saw the picture for this recipe I was drooling...maybe not literally, but I was close to it.lol If you check out the pics below I'm sure you'll agree. I had to use a few substitutions for this burrito but I think it was still one of the tastiest meals I've had.

I used kale instead of arugula. 

Since I didn't have any bell peppers I decided to throw in some broccoli. 

If you check out the recipe, the wrap is supposed to be gluten free, but I couldn't find one that  looked as good or  would wrap as good as this spinach one. 

Finish product. Yum! 

This burrito was so flavorful and I can't wait to make it again. I've never made chipotle mayo before, so that was quite a tasty change. I used soy free vegenaise. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect gluten free wrap. I love the brown rice tortilla ones but they break apart when I try to wrap something in them. I use them mainly for quesadillas. Here's the link to the recipe: http://spabettie.com/2012/03/19/chipotle-tofu-potato-burrito-with-chipotle-mayo/

Getting Prepared for the Week!

Hey guys! I made this little video to show you some of the meals I like to prepare for the week. I think it's so important to have your meals nice and ready for you so that you don't have to stress about it during the week. I know I feel so much better when I come home and I don't have to worry about boiling something, or soaking something, etc. Just take it out of the fridge and heat it up in your pan (or microwave if you're in a time crunch). Being prepared just makes eating healthy so much easier.

Healthy Vegan & Gluten Free Pizza

Hey guys! I have a delicious pizza recipe for you and it's completely gluten free. I got the recipe from Damy Health. It's a cauliflower pizza crust, using just a few simple ingredients. Amy, the owner of the site, makes wonderful clean and healthy recipes, and most of them are vegan and gluten free. The original recipe isn't vegan, but you know that has never stopped me from making a dish. So, I made some tweaks. If you click the link it will take you to the site to show you how to prepare the cauliflower and the crust: http://www.damyhealth.com/2011/03/the-secret-life-of-cauliflower/

To make it vegan I used 1/4 cup of ground flax seed and 2-3 tablespoons of water instead of eggs. I used daiya cheese instead of mozzarella cheese to mix in with the crust and I used teese cheese on top of the pizza.

Here is the finished product:

This is definitely a yummy dish. I was surprised at how well the cauliflower turned out. I will have to make some more tweaks though. Next time I'll bake the crust without the daiya cheese. It took too long to melt, so the crust came out gooeyer than I wanted and I think I'll shred the teese cheese instead of slicing pieces. But, overall I really enjoyed this pizza and I will be making this again soon! Give it a try and let me know what you think. 

Yummy BLT

Over the weekend I made this scrumptious BLT sandwich. I haven't had a BLT in a long time so I don't know why I randomly started craving for one. Anyway, this sandwich was bangin and if you get a chance you should definitely try and make it sometime. First, I made some tempeh bacon...got the recipe from the lunch box blog. After I made the bacon, I set it aside and moved on to the rest of the sandwich. I used baguette bread, sliced it in half, and baked in a 425 degree oven for about 3-4 minutes. I spread a little soy free vegenaise on each bread slice, added some sliced tomatoes, avocado, and I used spinach instead of lettuce...oh, and some pepper on top. Yum! You can add a little organic ketchup and hot sauce, like I did, or you can leave it alone and munch away. Nom nom nom...so good! :-)

Asian Cuisine Night!

I've been craving seaweed salad all week! I know that's a random thing to crave but my taste buds are just strange sometimes. I found an easy recipe for seaweed salad online and decided to make some on Saturday. I figured that if I was going to make seaweed salad I might as well make some sushi, and hey, "why not throw in some spring rolls as well?"...mmm spring rolls. I never made spring rolls before so that was another recipe I went digging around online to find. With recipes in hand, I gathered some ingredients, and attempted to make some delicious vegan goodness. I started with the seaweed salad (which took no time at all), and then I moved on to making the spring rolls, my husband worked on the sushi while I finished up with some vegan pot stickers. OMG! Everything was so good!lol I know I'm tooting my own horn, but it was seriously one scrumptious dinner. I made enough spring rolls to last me, my husband, and roommate for a week and they were practically demolished. I think there might be a few scraps left.lol Here are some pics:

Here is the filling for the spring rolls.

Some sea weed salad.

Getting ready to wrap the spring roll.

Yummy finished product.

Okay, so this was supposed to be pot-stickers, but I had a mishap, which resulted in pot-sticker mash.  

Sushi w/Gardein "chick'n"

Spring roll w/sweet & sour sauce. 

Hope these pics make you as hungry as I am right now.lol Try a new recipe tonight! :-)

Tone It Up 7 Day Slim Down Day 4

Hey everyone! It's day 4 of the Tone It Up 7 day slim down and I'm not gonna lie but I am definitely having some cravings. I think it's mainly because my monthly friend decided to come early, which cause my chocolate craving to go into over drive. I did cave in today and have some maple quinoa cereal during lunch. I know that doesn't seem like such a big slip up...but it's still a slip up. I made it to Meal 4 and my workout without any hiccups. For today's workout I did Bodyrock's "Do you like it workout." After my workout I had some delicious dinner.

Black bean patty, peas, kale, spinach, red onions, and diced tomatoes with brussels sprouts. 

I've started following this "Fit Photo Challenge" and it's so much fun!

Basically, you just post pics of what each day tells you. So far I'm on Day 3. Check out my twitter page to see my pics! @veganwhat



Well, that's it for now. Have a good night everyone!

Healthy Pizza Recipe!

Hey guys! I posted a pic of this awesome recipe for healthy pizza on my facebook page a few days ago. I got the recipe from bodyrock.tv and decided to make a video of exactly how to make this delicious meal. Check it out!

My Last Week of My 30 day Bodyrock Challenge!

Wow! It's really hard to keep up with your blog, facebook page, twitter page, and youtube vlog...and the rest of your life.lol I just looked at the date of my last post and shook my head. I have to keep on track with my post. Not just for the sake of posting but because I love to write and this is where it all started with my vegan journey. So, anyway I've been really rocking this month's challenge from Tone It Up & Bodyrock. The workouts have been amazing and I'm feeling stronger everyday. There have been some slip ups with the food, but I try not to beat myself up about it. I love eating healthy and fueling my body but sometimes I do just want to indulge a little. So, if I do slip up, I just know that I have to work harder the next day to make up for it. I'm wondering how the rest of you guys deal with the slip ups. Morning workout was Tone It Up's "Beach Babe Workout."

This morning for breakfast (Meal 1) I had the Tone It Up Quinoa Cereal.

Here's the link to recipe: http://toneitup.com/blog.php?We-LOVE-Food-Friday-Home-made-Maple-Quinoa-Cereal-From-EyeItTryIt-5149. I love this stuff! :-)


For Meal 2 I had some kale chips and home made trail mix with: almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and unsweetened dried cranberries. Very happy to be able to use my dehydrator again. This time I used it for the cranberries.

For Meal 3 I had I burrito with black & kidney beans, brown rice, avocado, tomatoes, and lime juice. I had a salad on the side.

This meal was delicious and I was nice and full. I love brown rice and beans. They go together with almost everything...almost. ;-) Afternoon workout was Bodyrock's "Rock Star Booty Workout."

For my Meal 4 I thought I would celebrate Peanut Butter Day with a Tone It Up peanut butter protein shake. I didn't know there was such a holiday as Peanut Butter Day, but apparently there is. Whatever, peanut butter is delicious so I'll celebrate it any time they want me to.

For dinner I had a scrumptious quinoa bowl. I had some leftover quinoa and beans and layered them with some onions & peppers my hubby sauteed, some lettuce, and fresh guacamole. Yum!

I hope everyone had a great day today. Keep up with your workouts and eat the best food to fuel your body. :-)

Week 3 of Tone It Up & Bodyrock Challenge Check In!

Hey guys! Hope everyone had a great weekend. If you checked my previous post about my birthday then you know I had an excellent weekend! :-) Now it's time to get back to work! It's week 3 of my challenges and I'm pumped for this week's exercises. Okay, so this mornings booty call was boot camp. I did the low impact version of this boot camp. For breakfast I had a tofu scramble with half a grapefruit and a slice of Ezekiel toast. I had class this morning so I brought snacks with me. For my meal 2 I had a mix of almonds, sunflower seeds, and pecans along with some orange slices. For meal 3 I had a whole wheat wrap with a tone it up black bean patty (black beans, onions, and ground flax seed), daiya cheese, spinach, and tomatoes...on the side I had a tomato and spinach salad. 

My afternoon workout was Bodyrock.tv's 600 reps challenge. For meal 4 I had the Tone It Up peanut butter protein shake. For dinner I had a black bean patty, diced tomatoes with garlic, broccoli, and cauliflower on top of quinoa.

Very delicious meal! Hope everyone got their workouts in and ate some very healthy and delicious meals. :-)

Birthday Dinner & Weekly Roundup of Workouts 2!

Hey guys! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend...I know I did. Saturday was my birthday! :-) I had such a good day and it was so much better than last year (especially since I was sick last year). I started my day with a nice walk with the hubby and then went for some coffee. I got a free drink from Starbucks, so what better day to use it than on your actual birthday? :-)

It was nice to relax and chill at home with the hubby for the day. Then it was off to dinner at Masa of Echo Park! Masa is known for their Chicago style deep dish pizza. I have been dying to go there for months now and was so excited to finally get the chance. It was packed so we had to wait a little while but it was definitely worth the wait. The food was scrumptious and I was stuffed to the brim before it was time to leave. Vegan deep dish...oh yeah, I'll definitely be back. But, I'll have to wait a while cuz it's definitely not the healthiest cuisine. Loved it though! Check out some pics:

Vegan deep dish with teese cheese, tomato sauce, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach. 

One of the chef's brought this out to spice up the pizza. It was very yummy. 

A very delicious meal! And a very wonderful birthday...had such a blast! :-) Oh, and here is another weekly round up of some of the workouts I've done this week. Have you guys been keeping up with your workouts?



I know you're probably thinking "but you just totally stuffed your face full of deep dish pizza this weekend," which is true but I'm not going to let that deter me from my goals. I know I will have a few slip ups every now and then (especially if it's my birthday lol), but I'm not going to stop training hard and doing my very best to get in the best shape of my life. Stay focused everyone! :-)

Tempeh Pad Thai & Hard workouts for today.

Hey guys! Yesterday was pretty hard. I got my morning booty call in but after eating some breakfast I felt really sick. I'm thinking it was probably the oatmeal & peanut butter I ate. Maybe it just didn't sit right in my stomach or something...all I know is I was done for the day. I wasn't sure how today would go, but this morning when I woke up, after my quiet time, I felt good as new. I had a tofu scramble with a piece of Ezekiel toast, and a few orange slices.

I went to the gym and started the new Shredmill workout from Tone It Up..."oh my gosh," I felt like I was dying and I was so grateful that Zumba started because I needed a little break.lol After Zumba I came back and finished the Shredmill, luckily I didn't have much left to do. When I got home I made a Tone It Up peanut butter protein shake. I had a grapefruit and a few almonds for a snack after running some errands. For lunch I had a salad with some leftover miso soup. For my afternoon workout I did Bodyrock (I know my arms are going to be sore tomorrow lol). For dinner tonight I made some Tempeh Pad Thai with brown rice pad thai noodles. Yum! Feeling good guys and I hope you are feeling strong and healthy as well! :-)

This is packed with protein and a scrumptious veggies! The ingredients include brown rice pad thai noodles, tempeh (I steam mine first for a few minutes), broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, and topped with green onions. For my sauce I used organic tamari, pure maple syrup, rice vinegar, pepper, garlic powder, and red chili flakes. I put some olive oil in my wok and added my veggies. After stirring the veggies for a few minutes I added the tempeh (which soaked in the sauce while I chopped the veggies) and the sauce into the wok. I let everything cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies were soft and then I dumped in the noodles and mixed until they were fully coated. I turned off my burner and added my green onions on top. So good! I love making extra so I can munch on this for lunch tomorrow. :-)

Leftover Couscous & Miso Soup

Hey guys! I hope everyone is doing well and that you all had a great weekend! I started my week off right with a yoga morning booty call. Breakfast was rushed because I didn't want to be late for my class so I grabbed a home made protein bar. I had a long class this morning so I didn't have much time for lunch until I got home. I snacked on almonds and the Tone It Up's krazy koconut bites throughout my class and on the way home. When I actually got home I had a small salad with spinach, tomatoes, and cucumbers. I made my own dressing, which I tend to do a lot. For me, it's just easier to make my own dressing and also cheaper. I just throw a few of my favorite ingredients together: some apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, pepper, and sometimes a little soy sauce. Try making your own some time! For my workout I did Bodyrock.tv 400 reps and the rest of my Tone It Up lean leg pyramid challenge. I gobbled up a protein shake before making dinner. Here is tonight's quick dinner recipe:

Leftover Couscous & Veggies

Leftover plain couscous
Handful of Spinach
Half of a  Zucchini (Chopped)
1 Carrot (Chopped)
Some Organic Salsa (To taste)
Handful of Snap Peas

Saute your veggies until almost done. Add your organic salsa and mix in well with the veggies. You're going to add your couscous last since it's already cooked. Just make sure all of your ingredients are mixed in well and your couscous is warm and ready to eat. Season with pepper and top with some fresh parsley. Enjoy! 

I had some miso soup on the side. This recipe is super easy as well. I made extra so I would have some for lunch tomorrow, so you can make a smaller batch if you want.



Miso Soup

Silken Tofu (A few squares)
2 Stalks of Green Onion
A few pinches of wakame
3 cups of Water
About 2-3 tablespoons of Mellow White Miso

Heat your water in a pot on medium and add your wakame. After a few minutes you will see the wakame change into a softer texture. Add your green onion and tofu and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Take your miso and place in a bowl. Add some of your broth to the bowl and mix until it dissolves. Once the miso dissolves add it to your pot and stir. Continue to let your soup simmer just a few more minutes. Make sure you don't boil the miso. Serve!

Week 1 Round Up of Exercise Challenges!

Hey guys! Check out my video where I show you a 1 week worth of some of the exercise I do.




Oh! Here's another yummy recipe for you to check out:

Asian Style Tempeh with Brown Rice Noodles

Ingredients

-Tempeh (I used less than half a block)
-2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
-2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
-1 Tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup
-Brown Rice Noodles (I used enough for one serving)
-Broccoli (About a handful)
-1 green onion
-Handful of snap peas

Take your block of tempeh and slice into thin strips. Place in a steamer for about 10 minutes and then place in a bowl where you'll add your soy sauce, rive vinegar, and maple syrup. Make sure your tempeh is fully coated and set it in the fridge to marinate. Follow the directions on the package for your noodles and set them aside once they are finished. Prepare your veggies by setting your burner to medium and adding a little water, rice vinegar, and soy sauce to your pan. Add your veggies and continue to stir. When your veggies are almost done add your tempeh and continue mixing everything until done. Take your tempeh and veggies and place them on top of your noodles. Season to taste.

Warm Brown Rice Salad Recipe & Tone It Up Check In

Hey everyone! Today for my booty call I did The Biggest Loser: Weight Loss Yoga. I had a tofu scramble and some potatoes for breakfast.

For my workout I did the Bodyrock workout from yesterday: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/01/04/day-3-of-the-30-day-challenge-international-love-workout/. After my sweaty workout I had my usual Peanut Butter Protein Shake. For a snack I had a home made protein bar with half a grapefruit. Here's my lunch and new quick recipe for you guys.

Warm Brown Rice Salad

Brown Rice
Black Beans
1 Avocado
1 Medium Tomato
1/2 Medium Red Onion
1/2 Cup Green Onion
2 Limes
2 Lemons
Handful of fresh parsley (optional)
Handful of fresh cilantro (optional)
Herbamare or Salt (optional)
Pepper (optional)

I chopped my veggies, threw them into a bowl, and squeezed some fresh lime and lemon on top of them. I sprinkled some herbamare and black pepper on top, stirred it until the veggies were mixed well with the lime & lemon, and popped it in the fridge for an hour. You can let this overnight or prepare right before lunch or dinner. I used leftover brown rice and black beans to add in. I heated them up 10 minutes before taking out the veggies. When everything was done I mixed them together and chowed down! :-)

Quick Brown Rice Pasta & Tone It Up Check In!

Hey guys! Check out my video for my Tone It Up Check In. I also have a quick recipe on there for you of some yummy brown rice pasta.




Quick Brown Rice Pasta

Here are the ingredients that I used:

Organic Brown Rice Pasta (I used the Trader Joe's Brand)
A can of Organic Diced Tomatoes
Shiitake Mushrooms (Use whatever mushrooms you like)
Some greens (I used kale & spinach)
2 cloves of garlic
Herbamare (or a little salt)
Pepper

Cook your pasta until done. Saute your garlic in a little olive oil until a little golden then add your mushrooms and mix until they get soft. Add in your greens and stir until they wilt a little then add your diced tomatoes. Mix in your tomatoes well, add your seasonings, cover, and let simmer until ready. Yum!

Check out what I had for breakfast.

Half a grapefruit & a home made protein bar. Recipe from Bodyrock.tv