Thursday, September 30, 2010

O yay! A Quesadilla!

well...kinda a quesadilla. haha
it's my version that is beneficial for blood type O folks.
I missed my cheese and tortilla goodness! so it makes me happy that I can make these "mock meals" and they taste good:-)

what you'll need:
*a stove
*a frying pan
*olive oil to grease the pan (not too much)

ingredients:
*one Ezekiel 4:9 tortilla
*almond mozzarella cheese substitute
*almond jalapeno jack cheese substitute
*broccoli
*squash
*garlic powder
*red cayenne pepper
*crushed red pepper

cut broccoli into smaller sections and the squash into thin slices. steam the broccoli and squash.
cut the two cheeses into thin slices (use as much or as little of the cheeses as you want. i use about three thin slices of each.)
fold the tortilla in half and tear apart.
warm the pan over a medium flame and brush the olive oil over the bottom of the pan.
place half of the tortilla on the pan. spread the mozzarella cheese slices over the tortilla. then add the broccoli and squash on top of that (desired amounts of each...i like a lot). sprinkle on very little garlic powder, a little bit more of the red crushed pepper, and a little bit of red cayenne pepper. add the jalapeno jack slices on and top with the other half of the tortilla.
press down on the quesadilla with a spatula to allow the cheese to melt and hold everything together. once the cheese is melted, flip the quesadilla over and press for another 30-45 seconds.
make sure all the cheese is melted then slide right onto a plate and enjoy!
i didn't use salsa with this one but I'm sure it would taste great.

hope you enjoy! you are loved.

Pumpkin carob cookies


So... this is my first attempt at an original cookie recipe but I thought it was pretty good:-)
This is wheat-free, gluten-free, vegan and uses only natural sweeteners. And it's awesome because not only is it completely healthy, but it's also beneficial for blood type O! Getting ready for fall baking...

makes about 2 dozen

ingredients:
(dry)
*1/2 cup rice (or brown rice) flour
*1/2 cup tapioca flour
*1/4 cup flaxseed meal
*1 tsp. baking powder
*1 tsp. baking soda
*1 tbsp. egg replacer
*2 tbsp. chocolate pudding powder (go organic! and natural sweeteners)

(wet)
*1/2 cup pumpkin (go organic! canned)
*1/4 cup raw honey
*1/4 cup grapeseed oil
*2 tbsp. water
*2 tbsp. blue agave (natural sweetener)

*1/4 cup carob (or chocolate) chips

start your ovens...350:-)
mix together all wet ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. add the dry ingredients and mix ...I usually use a whisk. once smooth, add the carob chips in the mix.

use a spoon to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet and mold into cookie shapes. for the cookie tray: put a piece of wax paper down so you won't have to grease the tray and the cookies slide off easily. make sure the wax paper doesn't hang over the side though!

bake for 12-14 minutes.
to check cookies, stick a toothpick in the center of one and if it comes out clean, it's done. if dough is sticking to it, bake a little longer.

enjoy! you are loved.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

One Fish, Two Fish...

What a difference a fish makes...
Actually more than A fish, but many fish.
For the past few weeks, I have been eating fish 4-5 times a week. And experimenting with the ones on my beneficial list too! Cod, Halibut, Mahi Mahi, Swordfish, Sole...even Salmon! It was really weird starting out, but I am beginning to enjoy creating my own marinades and using different methods of preparation (I have more options than I did with simply vegetables).
Also, I have two protein shakes a day, either Hemp protein, vegan protein, or rice protein. All are good but my favs are the vegan and hemp ones. I even stirred it into my soy-based yogurt and it was awesome!
now for the update:
I have been feeling so much better! I think the increase in protein, the added fish oils and the flower essence therapy has done wonders for me. Before I started this, people would come up to me and ask if I was ok...if I was down...or tired. Something was off...something noticeable.
But now people are saying my skin looks great and I look much happier and awake.
And I am.
I'm more awake and aware.
I"ve only had one minor mood swing in the past three weeks compared to the ones happening a few times per day before.
more cool things:
I get hungry more often...which I thought would be bad thing...but despite the fact I am eating nearly double what I used to, I have not gained a pound. I have had no hypoglycemic episodes or acid reflux. The only thing I can attribute it to is the diet and when I am eating everything that benefits my body, my body will reward me and love me. Everything is connected: body, mind, and soul. I think I'm starting to get them all in sync. :-)

Sunday, September 12, 2010

O the places you will go...

Just a little background on the blog:
I never imagined I would end up here.
I haven't eaten red meat since third grade. I have completely vegetarian since sixth grade. I have been wheat and gluten free for a while. And going back a few months I decided to become completely vegan.
All of these changes were well thought out and due to my extremely health- conscious lifestyle. However....as healthy as I was physically, emotionally I was on a steady decline.
Though I won't go into detail, the past few months have not been a piece of cake. I have dealt with mood swings and hormonal periods of depression that have been completely exhausting me emotional and physically. Somedays, I literally couldn't do anything but lay in bed, hold my stomach and cry. With a wacked out hormone level and digestive system, I decided to start searching for some answers.
Of course I started with the medicinal approach...but every doctor told me the same thing: all the blood tests came back fine and I am healthy.
Great...but I needed more help. So being the homeopathic remedy-believing naturalist that I am, I went to the Valencia Wellness Center where I was first turned on to the blood type diet. Of course I was skeptical...but I was willing to try anything. Not to mention, these were the first people who actually listened to me and agreed that something was not in alignment. I started on some supplements and herbal teas and slowly eased onto the new diet regime. The only problem: I was a vegetarian and the diet was a MAJORLY based on protein (specifically animal protein). So for a while I tried the 0+ diet vegetarian style...but it was hard considering I had to give up dairy and I still wasn't getting enough protein. So I was vegan for a while until a voice kept telling me something was wrong. After many discussions ( and a TON of praying) I decided I was going to slowly introduce animal proteins into my diet.
SO I started eating fish which I had never done before (besides sushi). It was traumatic at first, but now I am eating it almost everyday! It will be a looooooonnnggg while before I add any other meat though. baby steps.
I am not setting goals with this diet, nor am approaching it skeptically. I have heard the success stories and I am ready and willing to add to that list. This blog is to keep myself accountable as well as inform others of how my endeavors are going.
So enjoy the recipes and updates and feel free to email me any questions if you are curious about the diet yourself:-)