Fajita Pinto Pita

When I decided to prepare this, it was just going to be a pita topped with pinto beans, lettuce, tomato and avocado. I fix it this way and it tastes great. Oh and add some salsa too!!! ;-)

But instead I decided to do something a little different. It just popped into my head to try some sauteed veggies on top. I really wasn't thinking of trying out a new recipe or coming up with one on my own. Sometimes when those ideas pop into my head, they end up being the best recipe. More so than when I deliberately plan a recipe. So here it is.

Fajita Pinto Pita
Servings - 2

1 small yellow onion
1/2 orange bell pepper sliced
1/2 green pepper sliced
1 clove garlic minced
1 zucchini chopped
2 teaspoons spike (no salt)
chili powder to taste

Spray a pan with olive oil spray or put a drop of olive oil in pan and wipe with paper towel. Add all ingredients in pan and stir fry. I add a little water as needed. Meanwhile heat up already prepared pinto beans. I usually cook my in the crockpot and usually have some in the refrigerator or freezer. When they are done in the crockpot I add some garlic and onion powder and also a little braggs liquid aminos. Also place a no fat whole wheat pita on a cast iron skillet to heat one side and then the other. You want them nice and hot. Layer pita on plate and add pintos in their own sauce and topped that with the sauteed vegetables. Add lots of lettuce and tomato and you have a very satisfying, tastey meal for lunch. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chile

When I was eating SAD I use to eat chile allot. I found that this recipe is really close to the one I use to make in taste. And with the TVP added, you really feel like you are eating ground hamburger meat. The only caution is that TVP is considered 'junk food' by Dr. Fuhrman. It is a highly processed food with little nutrition so don't use it often if you can help it. I'm sure this would taste great without the TVP. When I was just beginning with E2L, I made this recipe allot. You can find this recipe at diseaseproof.com.

Vegetarian Chile

2 cups dry kidney or pinto beans
1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes (I use diced)
2 cups red onion
2 cups chopped green or red or combo peppers
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup celery
1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
4 cloved garlic minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp raisins or dates diced

Wash beans and soak overnight in water. Drain and add 6 cups water and simmer for 2 hours until soft. Pour off water or you can use a 15 oz can of pinto or kidney beans instead. (I use 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of pinto or red beans). Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan and simmer for 1 hour. (There isn't water in the recipe but you do need water for the TVP. I start with 2 cups and add more if needed so you'll need to keep an eye on this while simmering). This can be poured over chopped lettuce or steamed green vegetables such as spinach or kale, or eaten by itself. You also may want to test the spices. I added more of all the spices. :-) Enjoy!

Golden Austrian Cauliflower Cream Soup

I made this soup about two months ago and it is one of those recipes that are at the top of my list for favorites. It is so smooth and creamy and simply delicious. I was beginning to think that I wouldn't have any of those "absolutely delicious" recipes until I tried this one and now it is added with a hand full of other favorites. Here's the recipe.

Golden Austrian Cauliflower Cream Soup

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 cup celery, coarsely chopped
2 leeks, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons VegiZest or other no salt seasoning
2 cups carrot juice
4 cups water
3 teaspoons Spike seasoning
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raw cashews
5 cups kale or organic baby spinach

Cover and simmer all ingredients except cashews and kale or spinach for 15 minutes or until just tender. If kale is being used, steam until tender. Blend 2/3 of soup vegetables and liquid with raw cashews until smooth and creamy. Add back to the remaining chunky vegetables and stir in kale or spinach. Spinach will wilt in the hot soup.

A recipe for dessert

Everyone wants a dessert recipe right? I know I do. I guess I'll always have a sweet tooth. :-) This one is for some banana oat bars that are so easy to make and will last a few days. I have put these in the freezer too so that I'll have some for when that sweet tooth hits. I wish I had a picture for these. Maybe next time I make them I'll add a picture. Here is the recipe.

Yummy, Quick & Easy Banana/Oat Bars

2 cups quick oats (not instant)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut (no sugar added)
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (I use 1/2 cup)
1 TBL date sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Press dough in a 9"x9" baking pan. (I use a 9x13 baking pan). Bake for 30 minutes. (I bake for 25 minutes). Cool on wire rack. (I cool them in pan) Slice into squares or bars and serve. ENJOY!!

I have varied this recipe using cranberries. I dried a whole package in the oven and froze them for later use. I thawed them and added them in with all the other ingredients. They were delicious. I think I changed the walnuts to almonds or pecans. You can experiment with all kinds of fruits or nuts.

Awaiting The Results

Yesterday I had my ultrasound done. I thought they were going to look at just the liver but they looked at the spleen, the kidneys, the bile duct, the aorta, a tendon and whatever else was in there.

It was really quite a site and I enjoyed watching those organs as she described them to me. I asked at one point what she was looking at and she opened up and told me everything she was doing. It was fun! I don't have a gall bladder anymore but she showed me where it would be if I still had one.

So now it is a period of waiting. She said that the doctor should have the results today and to give him until Monday to read the results before I call him. The blood results should be in today too so he'll be getting them both today.

Hopefully they will find out what is causing the liver enzymes to rise and, of course, I am hoping that it isn't anything serious. Eating healthy is always the answer for everything and I just bought a new juicer from Amazon. There is the picture of it above. It cost's $99.00 with free shipping. I haven't tried it yet but I'll let you know how I like it as soon as I do. I'm looking forward to more concentrated nutrition.

But, if you are healthy, blended salads are the better way to go because you get all the nutrition along with the fiber and juicing looses some of the nutritional value of whatever you are juicing so if you are doing blended salads, good for you! I am going to continue with my blended salads and add juicing along with that so that I am getting the best from both sources.

I reacted after hearing my liver enzymes were up again and so I ate some SAD food. I guess at times it can be a comfort to me still. But I want to get to the point where my comfort foods are healthy choices without fat/salt. I don't want to turn to my old way of eating because it is really so unhealthy.

In the doctors office these past two times my blood pressure is still around 110/70. This alone makes me so happy. My sister is a registered nurse and I remember when I was trying to lower my bp through exercise and trying to eat more healthy but still eating the american standard diet, she told me at that time that I would not be able to lower my bp that way. And she was probably correct because even eating the heathy american standard diet, it still has so much fat, salt and protein and processing, etc. But when I found E2L, it came down in no time. I didn't have it checked for 3 months so I'm not sure if it had already come down before that or not but it was 112/70 the first time I did have it checked at the doctor's office which was 3 months later.

I haven't tried any new recipes lately. I have had quite a bit in the freezer so I've been eating so much from the frozen food section. LOL I want to try some new recipes though because that is what makes eating E2L sucessful. Finding some favorites. And this was such a difficult task at first but I now have a handful of recipes that I can say I really enjoy and believe it or not, my purplish stir fry that I came up with is one of them. :-)

Well I guess that's it for now. I am really sorry for those who keep up with my blog. I am still having trouble signing in so I can't blog as often as I would like to.

Eat healthy guys, "Eat To Live"!

Some Fun

I won't tell you what this is but watch it........it is so cute but also right on!

http://www.storewars.org/flash/index.html

Blood Work

I am so bummed and disappointed and concerned. My blood tests show that my liver enzymes are elevating again. I will be seeing a specialist on Friday so I 'll post what he thinks then, but there is a good chance it is autoimmune hepatitis. I am so tired of being sick and I was so hoping that E2L was the answer for me to get healed of all these health problems I'm having. You can read more about them if you want to in the archives.


I haven't given up though. I believe that the Lord Jesus has led me to E2L and I am hoping I'll be able to still fast soon. I do believe that this is what is going to heal me of so many things I am going through.


A friend prayed with me today and she was so encouraging. I guess I've been thinking about what it could be and have been thinking the worse so I need to relax and trust the Lord and wait until Friday until I hear what the specialist thinks. Even if it is the worst news possible I will be fine because I am in God's hands and there is no better place to be.


I also saw a nurse practitioner today for a female problem and have a yeast/bacterial infection so I'll be taking medication for that. I guess as our bodies are changing as we go through menopause we are more susceptible to those types of things.


I guess I am getting weary somewhat. I am trying hard to get well by eating so healthy. I just bought a juicer though Amazon and can't wait to get it. I'll be doing juicing too to help with the autoimmune disease if that is what it is. If it isn't, I'll still be doing juicing to help with my health issues. I guess I'll post some recipes that I'll be doing with the juicing in case anyone else out there is interested.


So I'll definately see you on Friday or Saturday but probably I'll post tomorrow or Thursday. Until then, Eat to live everyone!

What do I eat for Breakfast

I was just recently asked this question and I am quite a person of habit. When I find something I like, I usually stick with it.

My normal morning meal is simple and easy to prepare. It takes longer to drink it actually than it does to prepare. The picture to the left isn't exactly the color of my morning smoothie but its pretty close. It just depends on how many greens I use and how much strawberries and blueberries are added to it. It is always green in color though, but more of a purplish green I would say.

Here are the contents of my Blended Green Smoothie.

5 oz frozen spinach

3-4 Kale leaves, stems removed

1 cup of frozen strawberries

1 cup of frozen blueberries

1 TB of ground flax seed

1/2 of a frozen banana

1/2 cup of unsweetened soy milk, vanilla flavored

1/2 cup of water or more if needed

I have a vitamix that has a tamper so this is so easy to throw in the blender and blend away and within a couple of minutes I have my breakfast ready. This will make 32 oz and will last me all morning and sometimes into the afternoon.

If you have a regular blender you'll have to blend in stages. I have made this with my vitamix and with a bosch blender and the bosch doesn't make the smoothie smooth and creamy like the vitamix does. I also borrowed a blender from a friend while waiting for my vitamix to arrive and it did a poor job also in comparison. I can't say enough for the vitamix. Its a winner in my book.

There are also some other great combinations and if I don't have kale or spinach I'll use romaine lettuce instead. If you want to try something similar to this you can always experiement and just add a small amount at first to see if you like it and you can always add more the next time. That is what I did because I didn't think I'd like it. I started with romaine lettuce first. After awhile I got brave and used the kale too.

Some days though I just don't feel like a smoothie. So instead of the smoothie I'll make some oatmeal (Quaker Old Fashioned). After I cook this on the stove I'll add one cup of blueberries or other fruit and its delicious. It is quite filling also and will last through the morning. Sometimes I'll add a teas. of date sugar for some added sweetness. You can also add some cinnamon and raisins instead and add some date sugar.

I think those are usually my two choices for breakfast so if you are looking for more variety other than a smoothie and oatmeal, you can find some great recipes at fatfreevegan.com. Also diseaseproof.com has some recipes there too.

I do plan to begin adding more recipes here so please keep checking back. I'll be experimenting more with other recipes for breakfast in the future. I'll also be posting some of my favorite recipes here that I really enjoy the most.

Eat To Live everyone!!!

Chop Wizard

I have been watching the commercial for the chop wizard for the past few months and I wanted one but didn't want to spend the $20 if it wasn't going to do what it showed it could do in the commercial.

I listened to some reviews on a discussion list and also checked out Amazon.com and read some of the reviews there and it sounded like this might be a good product.

I was getting my fil his perscription this morning at Walgreens and went by the kitchen gadget/appliance aisle and they happened to have one left. So I bought it, brought it home and made a delicious fajita pinto pita and used the chop wizard to cut up all the veggies. And I fell in love with it. I've been doing all the cutting, chopping and slicing by hand and this is such a time saver. If you've thought about buying it but were hesitant, buy it!!! You won't be sorry.

Fajita Pinto Pita

1 small onion chopped

1 zucchini chopped

1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 orange bell pepper

2 teas. no salt spike

few sprinkles of chili powder to taste

1.5 cups cooked Pinto beans. You can use canned but I cook mine in the crockpot and they taste so much better.

1 whole wheat fat free pita

Chopped lettuce and tomato.

Water saute all the veggies. Add spike and chili powder.

Heat pinto beans.

Heat pita on a cast iron skillet or a regular skillet will do fine too.

Lay the warmed pita on plate and cover with the beans. Add the sauteed veggies on top and add the lettuce and tomato on top of that. Ummmm this was so easy and so delicious. This will be a favorite for lunch. :-)

Oh I almost forgot. I only used half of the sauteed veggies and the other half is in the refrigerator. I'll either warm these up and add to my salad tonight or I'll make another Fajita Pinto Pita tomorrow.

Eat to Live everyone!

Purplish Stir Fry?

Doesn't this look like a wonderful peaceful spot to go and enjoy God's creation and the quietness of the day.

And also watch the hummingbirds come to get their fill and go humming around, just to find their way back to this spot and enjoy the sweet necter you have prepared for them.

When I saw this picture at a garden website, I just had to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it. I love winter but their comes a time when I am ready for the spring and summer months so I can get my hands dirty. :-)

I wish I had a picture to show you but I tried a stir fry recipe on my own and it came out a light purplish color. I made it a couple of night ago. I'll see if I can remember what all I put in the stir fry. I was trying to use up some veggies before they spoiled. So if amounts seem odd that is why! ;-)

Sweet Sour Stir Fry
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 ribs celery chopped
1/2 green bell pepper
1/3 of a red bell pepper
3 small carrots sliced
1/4 head of red cabbage
6 oz of mushrooms
1/3 head of cauliflower
1 bag of frozen broccoli
1 bag of frozen brussel sprouts
unsweetened canned pineapple chunks water reserved

Sauce
3/4 cup water
2 TB VegiZest
1-1/2 TB cornstarch
3 TB Tahini
7 TB of black raspberry fruit spread no sugar added
1 TB Braggs Liquid Aminos
Stir to combine.

I sauteed the onion and garlic in water for about 5 min. I added the bell pepper, celery and carrot and cabbage and added the pineapple juice to cook in for about 3 minutes and then added the mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli and brussel sprouts. Cook for another 3 minutes. Add pineapple and cook for another minute or so to heat up the pineapple. Add sauce and bring up to heat so that sauce thickens. It looks funky but I enjoyed the taste. If I get a chance I'll post the picture next time. I do think I would use green cabbage next time and use red raspberry fruit spread. I ate this on a bed or romaine lettuce.

I am still doing well with E2L. I still have cravings every once in awhile but they usually subside or I might give in and that is all it takes and I'm back to eating E2L.

I am still going fine not eating the cashew butter but last night I did have a tablespoon of peanut butter. But that isn't as bad as the amount of cashew butter I would eat. I won't tell you how much I ate one night .....its too embarrasing! ;-)

Last night I was wasted and felt a little sick. The last two mornings I got up early and went walking with a friend. I don't sleep well allot of nights (although it has improved some) but I am hoping that if I keep up with the walking in the morning instead of the afternoon, maybe it will change my internal schedule around so that I can sleep better at night. That is what I am hoping for anyway. I just hope I'm not taxing my body too badly. I walked at 9:30 one day and that night I didn't sleep well at all and the following morning I got up at 6:30 and walked at 8:00 and felt horrible in the afternoon. But as I type this I remember that I didn't have time to eat breakfast so that could be part of the problem.

I would also like to begin using the resistance bands again. The last time I did it I went all out and should have only done a few and I was extremely sore and in pain for a few days so I didn't go back to doing the exercises again. So I think Monday I'll begin again and see how I do.

If I can get logged into blogger, I'd like to blog daily but I still am having a hard time getting in. I tried last night and it took two hours to get logged on. I don't know if its on my end or theirs. So I kept myself logged in and because it was too late to blog I decided to blog this morning and I am going to try staying logged in and see if that works.

I'm trying out a dessert type thing and if it turns out well and tastes good I'll post that too. Well everybody, "eat to live"! ;-)