"What the Heck Happened to Searching for Sustenance?"

At some point back in June I imagine regular readers of this blog started asking, What the heck is going on? Well, at that point, so was I. There were really two major factors in the hiatus of the Searching for Sustenance's posts - one I am much less proud of than the other.

Happening #1: Summer = Vacation

I went straight from being a student to be a teacher. This last year was the first (since I was about five years old) that I was neither. Therefore, in my mind, summertime  has come to mean time of rest, relaxation and FUN! This is not to say that I do not enjoy writing on this blog, however, it does come with a lot of reading, research and, well, work-like stuff. 

As June pressed on, as the days got longer, and then when my husband was freed from his teaching responsibilities I found myself researching less and less which, in turn, lead to less and less information to share here. Ultimately, by the end of the month, I decided it was summer vacation, but I would keep my eyes open for any BIG stories out there (as you can tell from my archives, I didn't do such a great job of that).

Happening #2: The Summer of Sugar (or "SOS" as it really was a cry for help!)

Two things happened as a result of taking my mind off the Search

1. I missed out on most of the major foodie news in the last couple of months, and
2. THE SUMMER OF SUGAR ENSUED

It's that second one that is really quite terrifying.

If you recall, I can not have dairy, and I have been very good about that. However, as the days got hotter and the ice cream trucks started coming around every day with NOTHING I could buy to refresh myself, one day I finally cracked. I decided I needed Popsicles in the house to maintain my sanity. Not the end of the world, I know, but I remembered this when I was at my most favorite (and at times like these, most dangerous) store, CostCo Wholesale. While there I spotted (please forgive me, I still can't believe it myself) a CASE of FlavorIce Pops and PUT THEM IN MY CART!

My dear readers, it does not end there...

On the SAME EXACT TRIP (a worse-timed trip to CostCo could not have been planned, obviously, I was having an EXTREME moment of weakness) I spotted a CASE of glass bottles of Coca-Cola "Hecho en Mexico" and PUT THEM IN MY CART.

That was, surprisingly, the bigger problem of the two. I say surprisingly because "Hecho en Mexico" means it is made with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup and at least the bottles can be recycled, whereas the ices are a disaster on both fronts! So what made the Cokes so bad? Upon first sip (which didn't happen until about two weeks after the purchase, we were really good about spacing them out), it opened up Pandora's box for me

S U G A R ! ! !

It took me most of the summer to figure out what the heck was going on, but without gluten and dairy for over a year I had seriously (albeit, unintentionally) decreased my sugar intake as well. Once I had the taste of the sweetly addictive additive, I was doomed. All summer I was craving sweet things like I never have. Resisting dessert tables at family BBQs became increasingly difficult and I started telling myself things like, "You can't have gluten or dairy, but you can still have SUGAR!" 

Then we bought iced tea mix. You know what I'm talking about, right? The brown sugar-stuff you throw into water and mix around. We told ourselves this was better than soda, so it was OK. We practically inhaled the container in a week's time. THAT IS WHEN I REALIZED HOW BAD I HAD GOTTEN.

In fact, that is when I realized how important the Searching for Sustenance blog is to ME.

What Happens Next?

What happens next is in the works. I don't think I can commit to a 5-post per week schedule anymore now that I have my Rivera Runs Through It blog as well, so in the next couple of weeks I am going to get my planner out and set up a working schedule. I will keep you updated and get this Search back on its feet, because it is needed. I don't know if you need it, but I definitely know I do and I'd love it if you came along for the ride!! 

Quinoa, Black Bean and Tomato Salad: An Adventure in Hunger

I needed to go grocery shopping, but I was also starving. This is when I started to scavenge to see what was left that I could squish together into something yummy.

• Quinoa - since I have been buying this at CostCo now, I seem to always have some waiting in the wings. Possibility: I could just make plain quinoa... however, I could add some flavor to that if I just had some
• Chicken Broth - AWESOME! Just enough left in the fridge to make two cups of quinoa (in case my husband had some crazy idea he was going to steal some of my gluten-free goodness on this day!).

But, woe is me... while I do love my mother grain, wouldn't this be most mundane? My tastebuds cried out to me for more! I begged them to understand that I didn't think there was too much more to work with. Then I walked around the kitchen and there was a

• Tomato - well now... it seems like a nice red juicy tomato like that is just begging to join the party, but how? What to do with this red voluptuous fruit?

I went online and typed in quinoa and tomatoes in the search bar. The response that most intrigued me had one additional ingredient,

• Black Beans - these are the moments I am thankful for canned goods. However, traditionally I prepare black beans with a whole bunch of ingredients (ie. bell peppers, garlic, apple cider vinegar, etc.) that I simply did not have available. This recipe did not speak of such things, it did, however, mention a
• Lime - my husband LOVES these! I ran to the fridge - could it be? Would there be? YESSSS!! There they were - two lonely limes!!

I felt like I was on to something. My taste buds were all a-flutter. Then I read the rest of the ingredients - I had none of them. I felt betrayed, I was disenchanted by the internet recipe - How could it DO THIS to me?!What a TEASE!

I decided to compose myself and reevaluate my situation. I had a nice palette of ingredients to work with... Could these, along with some seasonings, perhaps, do the trick all on their own? And then it occurred to me: waiting in the refrigerator, holding out for its moment to shine was that little jar of

• SOFRITO! and this wasn't any old sofrito, this was homemade sofrito! Made by my Puerto Rican mother-in-law! (In case you do not have a Puerto Rician Mother-in-law, or do not know how to make sofrito yourself, I found this recipe, but there are TONS out there. You can probably tell by the pictures of my quinoa that I did not use the tomato/red sofrito for this.)

The crowd goes WILD!! The taste buds are tingling!! The stomach is grumbling!! We are ready to roll!! Here is what I did, so simple.

Quinoa, black beans, tomato, lime & sofrito.

1. I prepared the quinoa in my rice maker (I am lazy, I know). One cup of quinoa with two cups of chicken broth over it, stir, close up the top, put it on rice setting and got to the rest of my work.
2. I cut the tomatoes (I found another, so I used two) into cubes, or as close to cubes as possible.
3. I rinsed and drained the can of black beans.
4. Put the tomatoes and the black beans in a bowl together.
5. In a smaller bowl I put the juice of both limes (next time I do this I might do one or 1.5 limes instead) and two heaping tablespoons of the sofrito (I might kick this up next time!). Mixed well. 
6. When the quinoa was finished I added it to the bowl with the tomatoes and beans and mixed.
7. Finally, I added the "sauce" and mixed it in as well.

It can be served warm, room temperature, whatever you like! I don't particularly like things straight out of the fridge (and I had so much I have been keeping it in the fridge), so I throw a bunch in a mug (is this weird?) and microwave it for about 30 seconds - that has been my favorite temperature.

Want some?

As I am enjoying my last mug of this delicious quinoa salad that I have eaten as lunch, snacks and one night it was a side with dinner (yes, yes, overkill, I know! But I LIKE it, it is gluten-free, dairy-free and clean eating!!) I am wondering: Why the heck didn't I buy any more tomatoes so I could MAKE MORE?!

Getting REAL About Food

After the holidays, in the month of renewing and rebirth of oneself, it is time for us to get REAL about our food, and to try to be as frugal as possible as we recover from our excesses. Here are three things I found out on the Internet that are going to help me toward that end in the weeks, months, and, yes, even years to come!

From GOOD magazine, the "How to Cook Real Good Cheap Easy Food" Transparency, is one I am seriously thinking about printing out and hanging up in my kitchen:

Click here to go to GOOD's Transparency
here

Second tool on the list comes from one of my favorite foodie bloggers on the net: Darya Pino from Summer Tomato. If you haven't started following Darya yet, then I highly recommend you do so. I have had her RSS feed on this blog from the moment I learned how to do such a thing! Anyway, enough with the gush! Darya created a flowchart to be used at the supermarket in order to find REAL food. I am going to give you a teaser of the flowchart, so that you definitely go to Darya's blog to witness her brilliance firsthand!

For the complete image, check out the post at Summer Tomato

Finally, I have a link of fun curiosity - the one ingredient ice cream! And, the key for me? It is both gluten-free and dairy-free! Curious yet?! It is a banana ice cream and I found it while stumbling around on StumbleUpon (my profile name is nrivera9, by the way, if you want to be SU buddies!). Here the picture of the delectable treat from Faith Durand at TheKitchn.com:

Check out this recipe!

Time for me to go throw some bananas in the freezer!

Until next time... happy eating!

It's Party Time!! (Baked Buffalo Wings!)

We're all getting ready over here for a night of partying. Of course, one of the main components of any party I am going to attend is: FOOD. In order to not overwhelm the hostess each guest has volunteered to bring a dish that can please the masses. Our contribution this year? Bob's Baked Buffalo Wings.

About a year into our marriage I asked my husband to list all of the foods he would really like to be eating that I had not been cooking for him. He responded, "All the things I want are bad for me, so I don't think you want to hear them..." I assured him that I wanted to hear of all of his wishes and desires so that I could make him happy and look for a way to make his greatest food loves a part of his long, healthy life. One of his great loves was, of course, Buffalo wings, however, he had only been exposed to deep-fried, greasy mini heart attacks covered in a spicy sauce. I decided there must be another way and set off to finding it! What I have found has become my husband's favorite wings, which is why I call them Bob's Baked Buffalo Wings! The wings are delicious and, I think, a much healthier option for wing lovers than the typical fried wings.

Bob's Baked Buffalo Wings

Yummy!!

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup Frank's Red hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon Earth's Balance buttery spread (you can use butter or margarine if you are so inclined)

Directions

1. Fill a large pot half way with water. (Make sure you have a lid for this pot!)

2. Add the first 4 ingredients.

Important note about McCormick's spices: They do not add gluten to their single ingredient spices (Read here for more information about their gluten and allergen policies.)

3. Bring water mixture and wings to a boil and then boil for 15 minutes. (During this time you may want to get out of Dodge! Put the lid on the pot, if you can without it overflowing, because the steam this mixture kicks up can be quite powerful!!)
**An interesting, and accidental, discovery: if you want some KNOCK-YOUR-SOCKS -OFF fiery-hot wings, extend this boiling time (I did this once while my husband went out to the store so the wings would be fresh out of the oven when he came home and we were teared-up, hysterical laughing, and talking about the wings for weeks!)**
4. Put the wings on a sprayed cookie sheet, or some other oven-safe dish. Make sure the wings are not on top of one another. 
 
5. Bake wings on "Broil" (high) for 15-20 minutes on each side. (The longer you keep them in, the crispier they get, but watch them as you get close to the 20 minute mark, or longer, so that they don't burn. 
 
6. While the wings are in the oven, get a sauce pan on the stove top  to combine the Hot Sauce and buttery spread over a medium heat. Stir continuously until butter melts and is evenly mixed. (The longer you cook the sauce, the thicker the sauce). 
**Also, if you wish to play with the sauce's hotness scale, simply play with the "butter" to hot sauce proportions. More "butter" = milder; more sauce = hotter.**



I swear by that Frank's Red Hot Sauce!! (But you can use your own favorite hot sauce if you like.)

7. The last step is the most fun!! Find a container that you can safely put wings and sauce in to shake up. If you have to do it in batches, so be it, but have fun shaking what your Mama gave ya!

My Lock & Lock container is perfect for this job!!

This batch is ready to go! We're ready to party! My husband is out foraging for bleu cheese for the dairy eaters that are sure to be at the party tonight and I am off to chop some celery sticks.

I wish I could just give one to you right now!!

I wish everyone a wonderful, healthy, happy and delicious New Year!

      

My Gluten-Free, Dairy-free Baking Helpers

One of the things I have always loved doing during the holidays is baking. Whether it is for my own guests, or to bring to a party as a shared yummy treat for everyone to enjoy, it is the one thing over the past couple of years I have felt confident in contributing. Since going gluten-free AND dairy-free, I truly thought this was one holiday tradition I was going to have to replace. The whole idea of finding a replacement flour combination that could stand in for my typical All-Purpose Flour AND finding suitable replacements for the milk and butter in all of my baking adventures seemed utterly impossible! I had decided that I should resign myself to a life of pre-packaged gluten-free/dairy-free baked goods, since this "new" type of baking seemed largely out of my depth.

Then, one day, while shopping around in my Stop N Shop, my eyes fell upon some packages from Cherrybrook Kitchen. I can't be blamed - their boxes are simply adorable! I grabbed a a box of brownie mix, a box of sugar cookie mix and a yellow cake mix with chocolate icing. I thought, Maybe I can't bake from scratch, but at least I can have something freshly baked! To be honest, the mixes hung out in my cabinet for a while, because there was still something mising from grand plans: WHAT SHOULD I USE FOR BUTTER?

Enter Earth Balance buttery spread and buttery sticks. I kept scouring the Internet for dairy-free butter substitute suggestions, and Earth Balance was the one that came back with the best reviews. I decided to give it a go. I bought it right before Thanksgiving to use for myself and I was pleased with its taste AND texture. I began to think I might really be on to something...

So far I have made both the brownies and the sugar cookies. They were both a great success! Whenever milk was needed I used (my favorite) the Pacific Hazelnut milk. I made the brownies for just my husband and I, at first sure that gluten and dairy eaters would have no interest and then sure I didn't want to share any because they were so delicious! I brought the sugar cookies to a Holiday party this weekend and everyone cheered them on (my husband thinks it is the addition of the hazelnut milk that puts them over the top... I think he might be right).

With two pre-made mix baking successes under my belt, I decided that maybe, just maybe baking from scratch might not be too difficult, IF I could find the right gluten-free ally to aid me in my endeavor. I thought of one company that I already trusted to get me the ingredients I needed: Bob's Red Mill. Bob's Red Mill doesn't just carry gluten-free stuff, but their selection of gluten-free mixes, flours and other baking supplies is like no other that have been readily available to me. I purchased the Gluten-free All purpose flour a little while ago thinking I could use it in any recipes that called for flour, last night, however, I decided to see what they had on their website in terms of baked goods recipes. The selection was amazing! When I got to the site I was in awe of all they had to offer in terms of recipes, information and also other products that I haven't even seen in my store yet. (I informed my husband that a Bob's Red Mill gift card wouldn't be a bad idea for a last minute Christmas gift for me after this find!) One of the most useful bits of information for me was the Xanthan Gum Use Chart given on the site:

The xanthan gum is very important to the process. It is my understanding that it serves as a stand-in for gluten providing much of the texture we rely on gluten for in recipes.

I searched for a recipe to use for another holiday party we will be going to tomorrow. I settled on the Gluten-free Oatmeal cookies since I had all of the necessary ingredients on hand (as long as I replaced the raisins with chocolate chips). I just finished baking them and I nearly made myself sick (I was under the impression that I had to try at least one cookie from each freshly baked tray that came out of the oven!!). Here is the recipe, from Bob's Red Mill, as I adjusted it:

Just a couple from the batch.

Gluten-free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients 1-1/2 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour  3 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats  1 cup Earth Balance Buttery sticks 1 cup Brown Sugar  1/2 cup Granulated Sugar  1 tsp Vanilla  1 tsp Baking Soda  1/2 tsp Sea Salt  1 tsp Cinnamon  2 large Eggs*  1 tsp Xanthan Gum  1 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate chips (**Contains some dairy... I will regret this later!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat butter and sugars together until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. In a separate bowl, blend flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and Xanthan Gum. Stir flour blend into wet ingredients. Add oats and raisins and mix well. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool one minutes then transfer to wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

I hope the gluten and dairy eaters enjoy the cookies, because now I have a ton of them and I can't eat them all myself!

I am happy to have had this success with the new products I have found. I now feel brave to move forward and try to switch some of my old favorites over to gluten-free, dairy-free goodies I can enjoy!

My Allies in the Baking Battle:
 

What Was I Thinking?!

A couple of days ago I wrote a post to my readers asking them a bunch of questions. Strangely, it has skyrocketed to become my MOST POPULAR post EVER to date and, yet, only one person responded. When faced with a parallel situation in my classroom, I try to model the behavior I am looking for, so the intimidation factor is lost. Today, I will do the same.

Since I wear many hats in my search for sustenance: foodie, food politician, environmentalist, gluten-free & dairy-free eater, blogger, and the unfortunate hat of IIH & Crohn's disease sufferer, I will venture to answer all of these questions. My readers, on the other hand, should select whichever they identify with most. Here it goes...

My Interview With Myself...

As a Foodie:

• Have you had the opportunity to try any of the recipes posted on the blog thus far?

Yes, I have tried them all, which is what led to me writing about them in the first place.

• Have you been hoping to see a particular recipe, or ingredient, tackled on Searching for Sustenance? If so, what is it?

YES! I have been really hoping to transform some of my favorite cookies (Grandma's greek cookies, for example) into Gluten-free/Dairy-free goodies. My traditional tastes of the holiday have gone missing and while I am squeaking through this first year without them, I know I will crack eventually.   

• Did you participate in the meatless Mondays challenge? Or do you eat meatless regularly, anyway?

I participated, and I am still working on a way to incorporate meatless meals into our regular program.

• Who (and how many) do you cook for?

Most of the time, I cook only for my husband and I. Since this occasionally gets boring, I sometimes cook for my furry children, Buffy, the beagle and Champ, the ShihTzu. During the holidays. I could be cooking for tables up to 6-8 family members. 

• What is your greatest kitchen success?

Oh no. Did I ask this? I don't know. Well, I had two instances where I cried for joy after cooking. The first was (don't laugh) French Toast. It was shortly after my mom had passed away and she was the only person who ever made it for me. I had no idea what to do (not being much of a morning person, I was never in the kitchen when she made it). I pulled out the Joy of Cooking (YES! I USED A COOKBOOK!!) and made French Toast for myself. It was amazing, it was just like mom's. 
The second was a similarly emotional story about my marinara sauce. I tried to make it numerous times after my mom passed away, for my brother, for my fiancee, for other family members, but I kept messing something up. Then, one night, in frustration, I tried making it again for myself. I did it. It was a quiet, beautiful night and I am pretty sure Mom was in the kitchen with me then. 

• What is "your Everest" - recipe, ingredient, technique, etc. - in the kitchen that continues to plague you?

I have already written about this. I want to make perfect eggs. Eggs that could be photographed, put on TV and still be delicious. My eggs are ridiculous looking.
  
As Food Politician:

•  What is your major food issue? (genetically modified foods, local foods, organic foods, food safety, farming laws/regulations, or something else...)

My major food issue is food TRUTH. I want my food to be true to itself - I want corn to taste like whatever corn is SUPPOSED to taste like and I want it to have all the vitamins, nutrients and minerals it is supposed to have in it. I want to the truth about how food is brought to my plate. If I am not getting my food directly from a farm, if I am relying on someone else to bring it to me, then I would like them to be transparent enough that I can find out the truth of the process and where the food comes from for myself.

• How do you try to enact change?

By telling people about what I learn (both face to face and through my blog), writing to my representatives (I am pretty sure Chuck Schumer is about to add my e-mail address to his personal e-mail directory) and President, signing petitions and supporting organizations that fight for the causes I believe in.

• Is there a certain topic you would like to see addressed here on Searching for Sustenance? 

 Well, IS there??

• What is your go-to source for all news and updates in the world of food politics?

I have a bunch. I have a gadget for Marion Nestle's Food Politics blog on my homepage, so I always see what her latest topic is, but I am also on the mailing lists of many of the sites I have written about in the Take Action blog posts.

Fellow Tree Lovers:

• What is the environmental issue at the forefront of your mind RIGHT NOW?

'Tis the season for me to worry about waste. Every year around the holidays I am personally plagued by all the "traditions" that hurt us in the end: the buying of STUFF, the WRAPPING and PACKAGING of STUFF, the AIR POLLUTION from the excessive traffic (I live near a Shopping Mall), the ENERGY WASTE from the glowing lights to celebrate the season, the list goes on.... I contribute to some of these ills, but each year TRY to think of what I can to do to create NEW traditions.

• What can WE DO to help fix it?

For now, since everyone but me seemed to have finished their shopping, rethink your wrapping! Or shave an hour off the time your lights are on (this will save you on your electric bill, too!). 

• Where can WE GO to support the cause?

I don't know if there is one place in particular to go to support THIS cause... I will look into it.

• Do you see the future of our planet as one of filled with hope, or one that is hopeless?

I am an optimist. I always see hope.

• If you could enact one MAJOR change right now, globally, what would it be and why?

Wow. I wasn't joking around with these questions, now, was I? If I were some magical being that could enact one MAJOR change right now, I would somehow transform EVERY motor vehicle on the planet to run on some more sustainable energy source than oil.

As A Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Peep:

• What are the reasons that you are following a gluten-free and/or dairy-free lifestyle?

I was told by a nutritionist that I was sensitive to both. Since I am looking for ALL ROADS to health, I decided to follow this one to see where it took me.

• How long have you been doing so?

Since the end of June 2010.

• What have been the most difficult parts about it? What have been the best parts about it?

The difficult parts about it: people don't understand, going out to eat is difficult, going to other people's houses for food is difficult. Best parts about it: I lost 30 pounds and I feel SO MUCH BETTER!!

• What is the best tip you can think of giving someone who must start out on your diet restriction?

Don't cheat. You will never get to know how beneficial it can be for you, if you don't give it 100%.

• How has the Internet helped you with your diet?

I always have my iPhone with me everywhere I go. If I am not sure if something is gluten-free, I just type into Goolge: "Is ______ gluten-free?" I usually get a number of sites where the question has been asked and answered and I can know right away whether or not I can eat whatever has been offered to me, rather than saying. "No," investigating later and finding out I went hungry for no reason.

• Where do you for the latest and greatest information concerning your diet?

Currently, I have been building a bunch of relationships on Gluten-free faces which has been helpful. Also, there are TONS of gluten-free bloggers out there, as well. I follow a bunch on twitter.

As A Blogger:

• How long have you been blogging?

Longer than I have been documenting. I have had a number of blogs created for my students, I have at least three other personal bogs that I started and didn't really continue on.  

• What is your blog and what is its topic?

I have two active blogs right now, this one, about my search for good food and all types of sustenance. And I have Math Daze, which is a blog about, well, Math (I AM a math teacher after all!!).

• Do you blog for fun, finances, or a mix of both?

Maybe someday it will be for both, but right now, it is still  just fun!

• Do you have more than one blog? If so, why?

Yes. It would be weird for me to start writing about math in the middle f this blog. The topics don't mesh well.

• How did you get into blogging?

I was looking for a way to extend the classroom conversation about the topics in class. Especially in my AP Statistics class - 45 minutes, was not long enough, so I thought, if I could get the kids to get on their computers to write about the Stats, that would be better than nothing. (Holy Cow! It turned out to be A LOT of WORK!!)

• Are you on blogger, wordpress, somewhere else and how did you make that choice?

Now I am Blogger. I don't remember what my school blogs used. I am really curious about WordPress, though.

• What is your favorite blog network/community?

I've got to give the love to BlogFrog! Best Blogging community I have found so far!!

Fellow IH (PTC) or Crohn's Disease Sufferers:

• How does food help/hinder your condition?

I have become less symptomatic in both diseases since going gluten-free and dairy-free.

• Do you have "trigger foods"? If so, what are they?

Gluten hates me, in general, but if I have any oily and/fried foods, I find that can trigger the Crohn's (duh!).

• Have you made any changes to your diet/nutrition since being diagnosed? If so, what were the affects?

Stopped Gluten and Dairy in June 2010.

• Have your doctors ever given you specific advice about nutrition and its relation to your condition(s)?

Nope. Just, "maaaaybe losing some weight will help.... maybe."

• Which do you believe bears a greater influence on your symptoms/condition as a whole: your nutrition or the medicines prescribed to you? 

Not sure. Today is my first day decreasing one of my medications (YAY!), so let's see how this goes. I want to say nutrition, but I am pretty sure it is a balance between the two. Problem is, if you go to a medical doctor, they only talk meds and if you go to a holistic or a nutristionist, they only talk food/nutrition. It is difficult to find the person who can balance them!

• What one thing would you like people, not familiar with your disease, to know about it?

For IH (PTC): even if I LOOK fine, that doesn't mean I FEEL fine - my brain is getting squished!! 
For Crohn's: Sometimes I really, really DO want to enjoy that super yummy treat with you, but I KNOW that if I DO, my night is ruined... please don't call me a "party pooper" (you don't even realize how punny you are!) if I say no! 

• Tell us where you've been going to get all the breaking news about your condition.

For IH www.ihrfoundation.org AND there is an AWESOME support group over at dailystrength.org!
For Crohn's ccfa.org.

Now, if you haven't already done so, get over to the What Are YOU Thinking?! post and let us know YOUR TAKE on these questions!! The reason WHY that post is so popular is because EVERYONE keeps checking in to see what you have to say!!

What are YOU Thinking?!

In early March 2010, after a stream of passionate thought and a need for some personal action this blog was conceived. It is now nine months later and, after this gestation period, I think it is due time to see what, in essence, was created here.

I know of only one way to accomplish this goal:  

AN INTERVIEW WITH MY READERS 

I am aware people have come to this blog for many different reasons, so I will break this interview down into subgroups.

YOUR JOB: 

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS YOU IDENTIFY WITH MOST IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THIS POST! (and, if you have a blog, please share it with us so we can come visit it - ESPECIALLY if it relates to the topic your are commenting on!!)

Fellow Foodies:

• Have you had the opportunity to try any of the recipes posted on the blog thus far?
• Have you been hoping to see a particular recipe, or ingredient, tackled on Searching for Sustenance? If so, what is it?
• Did you participate in the meatless Mondays challenge? Or do you eat meatless regularly, anyway?
• Who (and how many) do you cook for?
• What is your greatest kitchen success?
• What is "your Everest" - recipe, ingredient, technique, etc. - in the kitchen that continues to plague you?

Fellow Food Politicians:

•  What is your major food issue? (genetically modified foods, local foods, organic foods, food safety, farming laws/regulations, or something else...)
• How do you try to enact change?
• Is there a certain topic you would like to see addressed here on Searching for Sustenance?
• What is your go-to source for all news and updates in the world of food politics?

Fellow Tree Lovers:

• What is the environmental issue at the forefront of your mind RIGHT NOW?
• What can WE DO to help fix it?
• Where can WE GO to support the cause?
• Do you see the future of our planet as one of filled with hope, or one that is hopeless?
• If you could enact one MAJOR change right now, globally, what would it be and why?

Fellow Gluten-Free or Dairy-Free Peeps:

• What are the reasons that you are following a gluten-free and/or dairy-free lifestyle?
• How long have you been doing so?
• What have been the most difficult parts about it? What have been the best parts about it?
• What is the best tip you can think of giving someone who must start out on your diet restriction?
• How has the Internet helped you with your diet?
• Where do you for the latest and greatest information concerning your diet?

Fellow Blogging Buddies:

• How long have you been blogging?
• What is your blog and what is its topic?
• Do you blog for fun, finances, or a mix of both?
• Do you have more than one blog? If so, why?
• How did you get into blogging?
• Are you on blogger, wordpress, somewhere else and how did you make that choice?
• What is your favorite blog network/community?

Fellow IH (PTC) or Crohn's Disease Sufferers:

• How does food help/hinder your condition?
• Do you have "trigger foods"? If so, what are they?
• Have you made any changes to your diet/nutrition since being diagnosed? If so, what were the affects?
• Have your doctors ever given you specific advice about nutrition and its relation to your condition(s)?
• Which do you believe bears a greater influence on your symptoms/condition as a whole: your nutrition or the medicines prescribed to you? 
• What one thing would you like people, not familiar with your disease, to know about it?
• Tell us where you've been going to get all the breaking news about your condition.

People Who Knew Nicole the Human Being, Before Finding Out About Nicole the Blogger:

• In what capacity have you know Nicole, the Human Being? (family, friend, colleague, classmate, former student, etc.)
• Is this your first visit to my blog? If so, what's up with that?!
• Are you a typical blog-reader? If you are, what blogs do you read/follow?
• Does it surprise you at all that Nicole is a blogger? Why or why not?
• If you have been to this blog before, what posts drew you here?
• Are there any topics you would like to see in Nicole's blog Searching for Sustenance?

***If you feel you do not identify with any of these groups specifically, then please feel free to pick and choose questions from all over the place to make up your own FREESTYLE INTERVIEW!***

FINAL TASK:

What one question do you have for Nicole, the chick behind the Search for Sustenance?

What I Learned from Meatless Mondays

As Monday is upon us again, I am, omnivore again, reflecting on the five weeks that passed and how they changed my vision of my consumption in my future.

I began this challenge to honor those vegetarians and vegans that eat a restricted diet all year round. When I learned that November was World Vegan Month, it seemed there was no better time to take the leap. So I decided, after months of talking about what's the right meat to eat, where to find it and how much do I really have to pay for it?! I dedicated my husband and I to five meatless Mondays - not a tall order, but some change for us.

My husband and I had spoken of going vegetarian in the Spring when we first saw the film Food, Inc. and when I had just finished reading Eating Animals. However, as my health waned in the months that followed, survival seemed to be our only concern. When I finally saw a nutritionist, her call to order was cutting out gluten and dairy, so any other restrictions seemed to cause too much of a learning curve all at once. Five months later, we were a little better prepared for the task at hand.

So How Did It Go?

Total transparency here: if it weren't for this blog, I don't think I would have made it. As each week passed I knew my husband's resolve was failing, had I not (1) written out a goal for myself, and (2) posted it publicly on the Internet, I think I would have eventually acquiesced and given my husband some meat on at least one of three Mondays that I can recall.

• There was one week when my mother-in-law invited us over to dinner just as I started to prepare our meal. I would have said, "No problem, if you want to go over there, I can stop what I am doing and save it for some other day."
• There was, of course, the horrendous reaction to the idea of black bean burgers which broke my heart. I nearly told him to pick up chopped meat on the way home with his burger buns! Then I thought, "No... My blog! How could I write that?!" So I stood my ground and let him "suffer" (if I remember correctly, I believe that turned out OK).
• Of course, there was week five. When I started this I was excited about the fact that November 2010 was such a Monday-packed month, however, after dealing with the meatless Monday GRINCH all month, I dreaded the final Monday's reaction. If not for the blog, I probably would have said, "OK, Hon, you did a great job - four Mondays is a typical month, so you are off the hook!"

What I Learned
One of the benefits I really hoped to gain from this experience was to expand my horizons as a cook. To learn more recipes, techniques, or just get some ideas for meals of our future. I did succeed in learning a lot, both in the kitchen and out. Here are some lessons learned:

• Planning meals, or meal types is fun for me. Having the limitation of a meatless dinner really made me think every Sunday night and Monday morning. I enjoyed the experience, but understand that a lot of what it possible is the fact that I am home on medical leave. This labeling of Monday night dinners has inspired me to think about labeling every night of the week so that I don't get caught in a coking rut!
• Eating gluten filled foods really messes me up. Unfortunately, when I tried the Gardien Sante Fe product on meatless Monday #2 I did not read the label (forgetting that the first time I tried it was BEFORE I started eating gluten free). While I did not enjoy the experience, I am very happy it happened while I was not working so I could truly understand how gluten affects me. This helps me express myself more clearly to doctors as well as friends and family who are curious about the seemingly sudden need to go gluten free.
• I need to take care of me a little bit better. I noticed (I don't know if you did too) that, as the weeks went on, my breakfast and lunch were not as well thought out as dinner. Now, is this because I was spending the day planning dinner? Maybe. But that is still no excuse. There is a distinct difference between my well though-out breakfast of week one with gluten-free cereal, a large glass of water and a bowl of mixed berries that I cut for myself and my week five breakfast that I "worked through" eating an apple and following it with some more grab-able fruit for "lunch."
• Eating vegetarian is very filling, satisfying and nourishing. I did not feel like I needed meat.
• Due to my dairy-free restrictions, many of the things I eat are verging on vegetarian, anyway.

The Food, Nicole! Tell Them About THE FOOD

Alright, let's get to it.

• My absolute favorite Monday of meals was probably week three, even though I didn't have lunch. I made the apple cinnamon quinoa breakfast and vegetarian chili for dinner. I have already used both of those recipes again, so I have to give it props for that. 
• Week 2, although it ended with my gluten consumption got me to do something I have wanted to do for a really long time - write down the recipes for my mother-in-law's potato salad and for the black beans.  
• Last week was a personal favorite with lentils and macaroni with a new twist I hadn't tried before. I know I will be making this one again, I just wonder if it will be for me alone, or if my husband will join me. 
• My least favorite of them all would probably have to be the black bean burgers from week four, but I think with some spice adjustments they might make a reappearance (I am thinking about having a burger showdown for my husband - black bean vs. beef vs. salmon vs. turkey, ok, ok I KNOW too many "vs.", I'm working on it!!). 
• Finally, it isn't fair for me to throw week one into the competition - the marinara sauce that has been passed down in my family has a special place in my heart and taste memory, I doubt that any flavor could surpass it if I were asked, but I am aware that I am completely biased!

I am so happy that I participated in this meatless Monday challenge. I am aware that many do meatless Mondays all year round and that many have meatless lives, but, for now, this is where the Riveras stand with their commitment upheld at five meatless Mondays in the month of November. Shall we go for more? It remains to be seen. Maybe we'll be complete mavericks and go meatless on some other day of the week, but tonight, although the rest of my day might be meatless, there will be meat on our table.

meatless Monday #5: El Fin

On Monday, I got a bit distracted by the food safety news of the day, but that by no means translates into me abandoning my November challenge. The final Monday of November, World Vegan Month, was meatless in the Rivera house, just like all of the others. Mission: Accomplished.

The Morning and Afternoon On My Own

As soon as I woke up I found out that Monday was the day that the Food Safety bill would finally be making it to the Senate, so I was immediately distracted. I spent most of the morning and afternoon, reading, commenting and, ultimately blogging all about the latest news. I was enthralled, and not feeling too much like spending time in the kitchen on myself.

So what's a girl to do? I had to nourish myself. I couldn't not eat. Then I remembered: I have fruit! Apples are in season. My plan was just to grab an apple to nosh on for breakfast and then have a normal lunch, but by lunchtime I was still immersed. Therefore, I went for a clementine and a banana.

In the past, eating just fruit like this, with nothing besides water to accompany it, would have been a nightmarish suggestion for me. I would have, instead reached for something packed with gluten - a bagel, an English muffin, cereal - swearing that, "Eating just fruit makes me sick!"...and it really did, it is not that I was making this up. In the past, if I only ate raw fruit, my tummy would be tumblin' for the rest of the day, but it doesn't anymore. I don't know if it was reacting to whatever crazy inflammation was already going on inside of me or what, but now, when I eat fresh, raw fruit, it is calming to my tummy, nourishing, and surprisingly filling.

Dinner

I started off the meatless Mondays dinners with my husband's favorite meatless meal: pasta with marinara sauce. I decided to end the meatless Monday dinners off with one of mine: lentils and macaroni. I realized that without this opportunity, my husband will always vote down this meal and never have the chance to try it. I have made them before for myself, for a take-to-work lunch, but I wanted to see if there were any interesting recipes around to use to really knock my husband's socks off. I found a basic recipe on Food.com from Lidia Bastianich (another trusted chef name around this home). Here is the recipe (posted by DrGaellon):

Lentils and gluten-free pasta

Ingredients

• 2 cups lentils
• water
• 2 celery ribs, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 2 carrots, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 1 small onions, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 cups whole canned tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 lb rigatoni pasta ( or other chunky tubular pasta)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• chopped parsley

Directions

1. Place lentils in a large pot. Add enough water to just cover. Add celery, carrot, onion and bay, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, until lentils are tender.
2. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil.
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until it just begins to turn golden. Add the lentils (vegetables, liquid and all) and tomatoes, salt and red pepper flake. If it seems thick, add a splash of water from the pasta pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until reduced by about a third, 10-15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until ALMOST al dente. Drain the pasta and add to the lentils to finish cooking for the last 1-2 minutes. Finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil and garnish with chopped parsley.

I made one substitution, of course. Instead of using rigatoni, I used the gluten-free penne pasta I had on hand. Everything else was followed to the tee! One major difference in this recipe and the one I have used in the past was the addition of the crushed tomatoes - that added a really nice melody of flavors, whereas when I typically have lentils and macaroni the flavor is all lentil with a little bit of veggie mixed in! The lentils really soaked up the tomato - you can see the difference by looking at the picture below which was taken shortly after I added the tomatoes:

Lots of tomato juice, almost soup or stew-like. The juice was almost all gone by the time the pasta was added! (I did have to add pasta water.)

 My husband really liked it. He even said at one point, "This gives carrots a really good flavor," (he is constantly battling over how to make carrots appealing somehow). Admittedly, while I was cooking he was pacing the kitchen muttering things like, "Lentil. What the heck is a lentil? I don't know about this..." (confirming my suspicions that if I did not take this meatless Monday opportunity I never would have sold them on this), finally erupting into, "How many more meatless Mondays are there?"

My response, "Well... I wanted to talk to you about that -"

"Nicole. How many more?"

"Today is 'officially' the last one of our challenge."

He erupted. FIELD GOAL! Both arms shot into the air, a smile from ear to ear. I swear, you would think he just won the Super Bowl. My heart broke, but was then filled again, realizing this was more of a sacrifice for him than me and he did it all for me. With that spark of happiness, I decided I would hold off my request for extending meatless Mondays for just a little bit.

When I served the meal to my husband, I knew what he was thinking, "I am going to be so hungry after this!" so I told him - you watch, those lentils are going to fill you up faster than a meat serving that size ever would. I was right. He barely made it through his bowl and was surprised by that. He enjoyed it, was satisfied by it and surprised by it - all in all I think it was a good way to end off the meatless Mondays challenge.

Dessert?

While I don't normally post about desserts (because we don't have them that frequently), this was the Monday after Thanksgiving, so there were still remnant sweets all around us. One of which being a Mrs. Smith's Apple pie that was never heated up. I decided, in a "thank you" to my husband, to surprise him with some late night apple pie. I knew this was dangerous since I couldn't share it with him, so I was essentially making one pie for one man, but I was hoping the late hour would at least encourage him to spread it out over the week.

I did not expect to be so enamored with the aromas myself. By the time the pie was out of the oven and cooling, I was in agony - I wanted some of that deliciousness for myself. I was so upset with my gluten-free, dairy-free restrictions and, to be honest, what was weird, is that I never even liked pie before. Something had to give.

**Divine Inspiration**

(All apologies, it never occurred to me in my sweet-tooth desperation to photograph this silly masterpiece!)

I took an apple, washed it and cut it into chunks and put them all in a very small pot (if I had a small ramekin it would have been cooler). I sprinkled cinnamon all over the apple chunks and then sprinkled a little brown sugar (I was going to do honey, I was debating - I don't know why I ultimately went with the sugar). I put the pot in the oven at 350º for 30 minutes (that's how long my husband's pie had to cool). When I took it out, I mashed it once with my masher (I might skip this next time). Then, I mixed it all up and put it in a bowl. IT WAS DELICIOUS! ...And it was gluten-free and dairy-free so HA! to my insides!! I can still have dessert.

SUCCESS. 

I would like to spend some time reflecting on the entirety of the meatless Mondays for World Vegan Month challenge, but for now I will say that this past Monday, the last of the five I went to bed a very happy girl. 

Interested in how the other meatless Mondays turned out? Here they are:

• meatless Monday #4: Burger Wars black bean burgers
• meatless Monday #3: Late to Rise, But Successful by Sunset apple cinnamon quinoa breakfast and vegetarian chili dinner
• meatless Monday #2: Success, But I Need BRAIN Food potato salad with lunch, Gardein and black beans for dinner
• meatless Monday #1: MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED! gluten-free and dairy-free breakfast and lunch, marinara sauce for dinner 

  Lentils

Garlic and Spinach Chicken

"A stroke of genius," says my husband, "a sheer stroke of genius!"

As we found ourselves facing an anemic selection of meats in our grocery store (there was only a couple of cuts of chicken and a bunch of turkeys), I was disheartened. My husband, however, came up with some inspiration, "Why don't we try to make the La Isla chicken with the spinach tonight?" La Isla is one of our favorite restaurants that we go to once in a blue moon because it is in Hoboken, New Jersey and we don't ever really have any other reason to go there except for food. It is a small cafeteria style Cuban restaurant and we could have walked right by it on the street if my mother hadn't introduced us to it so many years ago! It has been awhile since our last visit, so I wasn't sure I would have any way at all of wiping the cobwebs from my brain to access the flavor memories required to put this together. After looking back at the options before me, I said, "I can try..."

When we arrived home my husband was about ready to plant himself in front of the XBox to continue with his day's Halo: Reach daily challenge (I so wish I was making this up! However, since I am currently engaged in daily blogging challenges I suppose I should not be the first to throw stones...). As I saw him enter the living room I thought I would try something different, "Hey! I thought you were going to help out with this. This dinner was your idea - do you have any clue how to do this?" He was caught off guard, said he had no idea, but thought it had something to do with butter and garlic. I told him he was off the hook and that he should get out of my way, but it was too late: he was invested and now he was going to help.

It is for this reason that my husband should get about 80% of the credit for this dinner and recipe that follows. His taste memory helped us determine exactly what to put in and how to tweak as we went along. (It should also be noted that he did some real serious garlic work and would like the world to know that peeling garlic cloves is the most annoying and arduous kitchen task ever!) His pride as he ate his meal was palpable and I am so happy for him.

Cilantro & Lime Rice

Ingredients

• 3 cups white rice
• 3-4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• salt

Directions

1.  Put the washed rice in the rice maker.
2. Add olive oil, cilantro, lime juice and salt to the rice. Stir.
3. Add enough water to cover the rice (use the measurement tool in your rice maker).
4. Cook the rice - do not peek.

While the rice is cooking, you can prepare the chicken.

Garlic & Spinach Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 chicken cutlets
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup (maybe more)  Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread (or butter, I guess, if you are not dairy free like me!)
• 1 cup of uncooked spinach
• salt to taste
  

Directions

1. Begin sauteing the garlic in a pan large enough to eventually hold all four cutlets and the spinach with about 1 tbs of the Earth Balance to begin with.
2. In a separate pan, begin cooking the cutlets (seasoned with some salt). We used a grill pan.
   
3. As the chicken continues to cook, gradually add the rest of the Earth Balance to the garlic, to create a buttery-garlic sauce. Bring it up to a simmer.
4. Flip the chicken cutlets over.
5. Add the spinach to the buttery-garlic sauce. Stir to ensure all of the leaves are covered in the sauce. Cover the pan and lower the heat.
6. When the spinach has wilted (no more than two minutes), add the chicken to the pan, placing the spinach on top of the cutlets. If necessary, add more Earth Balance to the pan to ensure you have a bit of a sauce left in the pan (the spinach has a tendency to be a sauce-sucker!).
7. Cook for at least two minutes in the sauce and then serve.

Tonight's dinner was delicious. It came close to our La Isla experience, it was our first experiment with our new Earth Balance buttery spread, but most importantly it gave my husband a feeling of pride. I can't believe I almost let him off the hook and missed sharing that great joy with him.

Food shares so many gifts with us... how delicious and serendipitous!

Gluten Free & Dairy Free Transforming Traditions

Since Thanksgiving of 2006 I picked up where my mother left off and, as her former sous-chef, continued to prepare a Thanksgiving feast just as she did for the family that survived her. The meal is simple and has an expected menu year after year. Our feast includes, but is not limited to:

• Roasted Turkey
• Stuffing (it is really dressing, since I don't stuff the bird, but over the years we have all become accustomed to calling it "stuffing")
• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Green Bean Casserole
• Broccoli
• Mashed Potatoes
• Yams
• Cranberry Sauce
• Giblet gravy

Having worked alongside my mother for most of the 29 Thanksgivings I shared with her, I picked up most of the recipes, or at least where to find them when my time came. When Thanksgiving 2006 arrived, engorged with emotion, I was terrified I would not be able to deliver. Luckily, all went well, and due to that, the tradition has stayed alive and I am amidst preparations for another Thanksgiving with a menu I have practiced and refined over the last four years.

However, this year is different. As I looked down my list of items to prepare for my family, I realized that as fabulous as this may all turn out to be there are only two-three items I can realistically eat this year. You see, with my gluten and dairy sensitivities I can only eat the broccoli and cranberry sauce as they are currently prepared and maybe the turkey if I do something about the butter that I use in its preparation. I knew I would have to sacrifice some of my holiday treats due to my new dietary restrictions, but looking at it on paper, item by item, recipe by recipe, this was a lot more than I had accounted for!

It is an intriguing predicament to be stuck in. I have been very good about changing my habits thus far in order to follow that which has helped my health in ways I never would have imagined before, but this meal is different. This meal is about so much more than just food. This tradition is something I shared with my parents, both of whom are gone. I felt blessed in 2006 when I realized that I could somehow still capture the essence of those memories through my own abilities in the kitchen. I have felt that this meal, this ritual, this ceremony of sorts was a day to keep my family alive. I know it is silly and yet I know, now, for the first time as I write this, that this has been the reason I could not change Thanksgiving in my home.

And now I have to not for anyone else, but for me. Unfortunately, it seems I could not come to this realization any earlier than Thanksgiving Eve.

So the question arises: What will I do for myself this Thanksgiving? As it occurred to me a little earlier today, I have had this thought bouncing around in my head for a couple of hours (it was actually more like, "What the heck am I going to eat on Thursday?!"). Here are some things I think I will do:

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Now, I am not suggesting that I serve this to everyone (there seriously might be a coup!), but after all the potatoes are boiled, I will set aside a serving for myself and prepare them without the butter and milk. It is simple enough (I got this from Lidia's Italian American Kitchen):

1. Drain the potatoes, saving some of the liquid.
2. Put potatoes in a dry pot and heat to ensure any liquid evaporates.
3. Add the olive oil. (About 1 tablespoon per large potato.)
4. Mash and mix until almost smooth.
5. Add potato water to moisten.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Reheat if necessary.
8. Transfer to a large bowl, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top.

 Beets
I bought a bunch of beets on my last trip to the Farmer's Market because they are just about my favorite things out there. I am tossing and turning between two different recipes in my Jack Bishop cookbook - either Roasted beet salad with Sherry Vinegar or Roasted beet salad with lemon and olives. Ooooo I don't know... they both make my mouth water! Whichever one I go with though, I am definitely roasting those beets. If you haven't done this before, it is a ridiculously easy thing to do.

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Trim all but the last inch of the stem off the beets. Wash your beets really well (I use  my super awesome OXO veggie brush that my brother got me for my birthday) and cut off any dangling roots.
3. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil. Place them in the oven and roast until a skewer goes right through them (about an hour).
4. Remove the beets from the oven, open the foil and let them cool. Use a paper towel to rub the skin off of the warm beets (I am always amazed at how it just comes right off!).

Other Greens
I know I will have green beans left over after preparing the green bean casserole (I bought extra) and I also bought some frozen spinach (I haven't had frozen spinach in nearly a year!), so I might make those so I can veggie myself to death.

Stuffing?
I recently bought Glutino gluten free and dairy free bread crumbs. Glutino is a company that has always come highly recommended, so I thought, "Let me grab this and try it out!" I haven't had the opportunity to open it up yet, but when I was trying make room in my cabinet this week, I noticed a recipe for stuffing on the back of the bread crumbs. I might try this one, although it has sausage in it and I haven't had much luck with sausage lately (I can't seem to find one that my tummy likes!). I noticed, after a quick web search, that I am not the only one that is considering this particular gluten free Thanksgiving option.


That's all I've come up with for now, but this day isn't through! It is funny, now, at the end of this post, I am excited about the idea of doing something new this Thanksgiving... I guess this really is a transformation of sorts.

Meatless Monday #1 MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED!!

Breakfast

I feel almost as though I cheated for breakfast because it took little to no effort at all. My breakfast was not only meatless, but it was also vegan. This meal has no recipe, only assembly and some pretty cool product that I like. Here is what my breakfast table looked like:

A well-balance breakfast? I hope so!

In the bowl of fruit I have strawberries, cranberries and a pear. I have to admit I left a couple of cranberries in the end - they were even to tart for me (and that is saying something), but I enjoyed the mix overall. My cereal is from an company called Barbara's Bakery and it is one of the few gluten-free cereals I have found that I like. My milk is from Pacific Natural Foods and it is DELICIOUS! My husband has even started to steal it from time to time in place of his cow's milk. (My absolute favorite thing in the world right now, though, is their Chocolate Hazelnut Milk! What a dream come true for a girl who can't have Nutella anymore!) I figured this breakfast should last me easily until lunch (if not later) because, it was filling and I got a good source of protein from my milk.

Lunch

My lunch was pretty easy considering the dietary limitations already placed upon me. I had a "cheese" sandwich with chips and salsa and chocolate pudding for dessert. Believe it or not, this too qualifies not only as meatless, but vegan as well. It seems as though my true meatless Everest will be dinner. This is no surprise to me since I have my in-house meat-addict to somehow please (eep!!). Here is what lunch looked like (it is ALL gone now!):

By the enormity of this meal, can you tell lunch is my favorite meal??

My "cheese" sandwich was really just a rice sandwich when I think about it.  It was made on white rice bread from Ener-G with Galaxy Nutritional Foods mozzarella flavored rice cheese. My husband and I have both been fans of the Food Should Taste Good Multigrain chips for a while now, and I love to have them with my Tostitos salsa (I should probably start the hunt for a nice organic salsa or - crazy idea - make my own!) at lunch time. Finally, my "dessert" is a dark chocolate whipped pudding that is both dairy free and gluten free from So Yummi that really is so yummy. However, it is not the same consistency of regular chocolate pudding so if that is what you are looking for, to be honest, I don't know where to send you just yet. I haven't found that magic product!

Dinner

How droll! How mundane! How last Thursday! If you read my post Last Thursday Comfort Food - My Ritual and Recipe   then you know all about tonight's dinner. When my husband agreed to Meatless Mondays he said, "I'll do it if we have pasta." I had no idea at the time that this meant only pasta with marinara sauce. Luckily this was clarified before I started to undertake some other new-fangled project. I shared with my husband my disappointment in this limitation during a project that should expand  our horizons, but acquiesced when he threatened to go to his mother's to go get a meaty dinner if there was no sauce (I truly wish I was kidding about this!).

So, after a quick trip to the local Top Tomato to pick up some more San Marzano tomatoes, I set up to prepare the sauce and pasta. While he waited, I gave my husband something to nosh on so he wouldn't start day-dreaming of steak or chicken or some other animal to eat...

While he enjoyed his apple and grapes, my husband did point out to me that he shouldn't be eating them because they were fattening due to their sugar-content!!

I spent the time opening cans, slicing and dicing garlic and onions, and stirring my double-dose of sauce (I figured I better make extra to freeze to have on the side for next Monday, just in case my hubby doesn't go for whatever creation I have come up with for our next Meatless Monday Meal!).

All the ingredients (see Thursday's blog for the recipe!).

Of course dinner was delicious, that goes without saying - this sauce is hands-down one of my favorite things in the world to eat - but I was really thinking tonight we were going to try something new. I even took a quick stroll up to the Barnes & Noble in my neighborhood to pick up some fabulous new resources for me and my kitchen:

One book and two magazines

The two magazines were quick buys on the way out

• Gluten Free Living I had no idea this magazine even existed, which makes sense, because it is only up to issue #3. I think there are a couple of articles in there I would really like to sit down with (I just hope my eyes are up to regular-print reading for an extended amount of time).
• Vegetarian Living I picked this up to see if there are any recipes to use this month, but who knows? I may find even more between the covers!

The actual purpose of my trip was to pick up another cookbook by my hero Jack Bishop. I figured I can't go wrong with an Italian Vegetarian cookbook written by a guy I trust. So far, after spending about an hour or so flipping through the pages, I am very excited by the possibilities. I think I will start attacking my husband with various experiments throughout the week to see how it goes. I think I might have him converted to be brave by next Monday!!

Concluding Thoughts About My First Meatless Monday

I am proud to say that I did it! And, upon reflection, I made it through World Vegan Day 2010 as a complete Vegan - no animal product whatsoever. I felt great all day - not sluggish or tired, or hungry. However, I know that I thought very carefully about every single meal making sure protein was somewhere in all of them (there is soy in the gluten-free pasta I made for dinner). I wonder if I took on this lifestyle if I would become less vigilant in my meal creation. The only thing I think the omnivore diet has on its side is the appeal of easy balance to each meal. Perhaps this is just my ignorance speaking, or my newness to the vegetarian way, perhaps once you are steeped in the vegetarian and/or vegan culture the balance comes just as simply...

I will be studying up for next Monday and I am sure Jack Bishop will be helping me out!! Don't forget, if you want to continue the Meatless Monday discussion between Monday posts, come visit the Facebook page for Searching for Sustenance!

Check out my New Jack Bishop book:

UPDATE: Check out how the other meatless Mondays turned out:

• meatless Monday #4: Burger Wars black bean burgers
• meatless Monday #3: Late to Rise, But Successful by Sunset apple cinnamon quinoa breakfast and vegetarian chili dinner
• meatless Monday #2: Success, But I Need BRAIN Food potato salad with lunch, Gardein and black beans for dinner