Book 3 - Witch and Wizard

Just finished my third book - James Patterson's Witch and Wizard. 314 pages. I read this book, after hearing about the second book, titled The Gift. I could have SWORN that I saw a tv comercial for it, but considering the fact that that I do not watch many commercials, and that I have been unable to find what I *thought* I saw... I really don't now how I heard about it. I picked up The Gift at a Costco a few weeks back, prepared to purchase it. Really, I am willing to at least consider any book about witch-y or wizard-y type things. I am a Harry Potter fan, of course:) When I noticed that it was book two of a series, I knew I had to start from the beginning. Here is the synopsis from BN.com:

EVERYTHING. CHANGES. NOW.
Imagine you wake up and the world around you-life as you know it-has changed in an instant. That's what has happened to Whit Allgood and his sister, Whisty. They went to sleep as normal teenagers, and woke up as wanted criminals. Accused of holding incredible powers they'd never dreamed possible. And now, just how different they are-special, even-if just beginning to be revealed in a strange new world.
It begins...now.

I initially decided to read this book because of its subect matter. I did enjoy reading the book, but it was not AMAZING... This brother and sister are charged with being a witch and wizard. The New Order (new type of creepy creepy government that is newly in power) arrests them, imprisons them and sentences them to death. The whole time, they are slowly learning how to use their powers, while joining with a group of other children who are trying to rescue any children in the prisons. All in all, a good book. The next one is on my waiting list at the library:)

Book Count : 3

Word Count : 732

Yummy Breakfast!!!

OMG, I can NOT make pancakes or muffins FOR MY LIFE. Well, I can make them if they come out of a box, but that is about it. This morning I made pancakes and *sunny blueberry corn muffins* from Vegan with a Vengeance... unbelieveable. They are SOOOOOO good. Every time I try to make pancakes they come out all rubbery and yucky. OMG I could eat these all day, but they are gone... YUM!

Tofu is gross

Yes. That is all. Tofu is gross. Well, cooking it is nasty, at least. I used it in a chocolate pudding last night, which came out alright. But today, I *attmepted* to marinate it and then fry (cool, saute, whatever) it in coconut oil. Bleh. It did not take in hardly enough flavor. And I did press it to get out the water. Oh, and the texture... Nasty... Lesson learned.

I gave up on Anne...

Sorry. I really tried to like it. I tried for 136 pages. I could not read Anne of Green Gables as a child, and apparantly I can not do it as an adult either:/ Luckily, I borrowed, and did not buy, the FOUR installments of the series that I have so far-lol... Oh well, moving on...

Vegan day one...

Aside from the astronomical ($400) amount of money that we spend on groceries *had to buy a LOT of new spices, and re-stocked several pricey items, like EVOO, and we still have not gotten our produce:/* pretty good. I wish I had more time to browse the aisles of Jimbo's. Three screaming children who had not yet had breakfast (Yeah, I know, what was I thinking???) made the trip very un-enjoyable... Anyways...
Dinner was good:) But the sauce I made from the cookbook for the spaghetti??? Flippin nasty. Disgusting. Gross... luckily we had a jar of good sauce in the pantry. *I* Liked the garlic bread (also from the same cookbook,) but hubby was not sure. I also made chocolate pudding from the same cookbook, and it was quite yummy! I used honey as the sweetener, and it is just a little too strong, so next time I will cut back on that a bit:)

Meal Plan : 1/7-14

I have always loved meal planning. Well, not really. But I have loved it ever since I really started doing it-lol. I only plan for breakfast and dinner, and make sure to have sandwich things, and other snacks (along with leftovers) for lunches. Oh, and hubby is only home on the weekends, and some Fridays, which is why I have bigger meals on those days:-) Since this next weeks plan is the first vegan one, I did not want to overwhelm myself with 7 new breakfast recipes, and 7 new dinner recipes. I did many that are regular meals for us (some already vegan, some altered to be vegan - like almond milk in the cereal...) and a few new recipes. Any new recipe came from either How it All Vegan, or Vegan with A Vengeance. I wrote which book it came from (H for How it all Vegan, V for Vegan with a Vengeance) if it came from a recipe. Nothing is too extravagant:-) So here is is:

Fri dinner - Spaghetti w/ Sauce(H), steamed veggies & garlic bread(H)

Sat breakfast - Scrambled Eggless Eggs(H), Tempeh Bacon(V) & Herb-Roasted Potatoes(V)
Sat dinner - Nori Rolls (H)

Sun breakfast - Pancakes(V) & Sunny Blueberry Corn Muffins(V)
Sun dinner - Veggie Burgers (either a recipe in V, or one online that I know of, or i might just buy 'em!) Corn on the cob & baked beans(H)

Mon breakfast - Carrot Raisin Muffins (V)
Mon dinner - Corn Chowder (V)

Tue breakfast - Cereal
Tue dinner - Bean/rice/veggie Burritos

Wed breakfast - Oatmeal
Wed dinner - Veggie Stir Fry W/ brown rice

Thur breakfast - Cereal
Thur dinner - White Bean & Roasted Garlic Soup(V)

Fri breakfast - Oatmeal
Fri dinner - LEFTOVERS

Veganism???

Alrighty folks. I'm taking the plunge. Tomorrow morning all of our *edible* animal products (and we have a decent amount in the fridge/freezer) are being hauled over to my very grateful mother. Grateful, because she houses my 23 year old brother, who eats like a horse... The kids and I are having our farewell meal of hotdogs (organic grass fed beef-lol) and M&M's:-) Well, that might be a lie. I might use up some leftover chicken with dinner (again, organic grass fed... we do eat healthy already!)  So, tomorrow will have us out and shopping at WAY too many stores, trying to figure this all out. Any tips for a newbie vegan???

Book 2 - The Kind Diet

Alicia Silverston's The Kind Diet. 298 pgs, but many of those were recipes. So I will say 135 (the number of pages before the large recipe section.) Here is a summary from BN.com:

"In The Kind Diet, actress, activist, and committed conservationist Alicia Silverstone shares the insights that encouraged her to swear off meat and dairy forever, and outlines the spectacular benefits of adopting a plant-based diet, from effortless weight loss to clear skin, off-the-chart energy, and smooth digestion. She explains how meat, fish, milk, and cheese—the very foods we’ve been taught to regard as the cornerstone of good nutrition—are actually the culprits behind escalating rates of disease and the cause of dire, potentially permanent damage to our ecology.
Yet going meat- and dairy-free doesn’t mean suffering deprivation; to the contrary, The Kind Diet introduces irresistibly delicious food that satisfies on every level—it even includes amazing desserts to keep the most stubborn sweet tooth happy. Alicia also addresses the nutritional concerns faced by many who are new to a plant-based diet, and shows how to cover every nutritional base, from protein to calcium and beyond.
Alicia knows that changing life-long dietary habits is a process, and that each person progresses at a different pace. For that reason, The Kind Diet encompasses 3 separate levels, from Flirting to Superhero. Flirts learn to dip a toe into the vegan pool, reducing their meat-eating and swapping out a few key foods for plant-based substitutes to see quickly how even small changes can reap big results. Vegans get to experience the life-altering effects of forgoing animal-products entirely, while still enjoying many convenience foods and meat substitutes in addition to the wonderful grains, vegetables and fruits that form the core of that diet. True enlightenment comes with the Superhero program, based on the principles of macrobiotics and built on a foundation of whole grains, vegetables, and other yummy foods that Alicia describes in detail.
Whether your goal is to drop a few pounds, boost your energy and metabolism, or simply save the world, Alicia provides the encouragement, the information, and the tools you need to make the transition to a plant-based diet deliciously empowering."

So, as someone who has flirted with the idea of vegetarianism and possibly veganism for quite some time, I really enjoyed this book. I think it gave me the little extra oomph that I need to go through with this and make the change from our current diet (whole foods, organic produce, organic grass fed/free range animal products) to veganism. I am not an animal rights type of person by  any stretch of the imagination. This book presents so much information about the negative effects that animal products have on our bodies. How consuming animal products has been directly linked to heart disease. Folks... that right there is enough reason for me. My father passed away this past summer from heart disease. I know that his diet was high high HIGH in animal products... So from just a health stand point, I am sold. Completely sold. Alicia Silverstone does a good job of presenting the information, as well as adding her own comical style, making this not only a very informative read, but a fun one too. My one negative is that the recipes in here are just crazy! But, I went into this book knowing that (having heard from a friend of mine.) So I just need to get some good vegan cookbooks, finish off the rest of some animal stuff (how gross does that sound when you put it that way???) and we should be on our way. Oh, gotta talk to the hubby about it too... That will be exciting!

Book Count : 2
Word Count : 391

Book 1 - A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons

Just finished my first book of the challenge! A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons. 256 pages of pure fluff. This book is #6 in the How To Train Your Dragon series, by Cressida Cowell. The books are all about the adventures of Hiccup, son of the Cheif of the Viking Isle of Berk. This particular book (set in a time where books were thought to be dangerous, and were banned) is about Hiccup's quest to steal a book from the Meathead Public Library. It is guarded not only by an entire army of Meathead Warriors and driller-dragons, but also by the creepy Hairy Scary Librarian. It is definately not an adult book (aimed at 8-12 year olds) but I enjoyed it anyways. The entire series (so far, I know there are at leas two more books I have not yet read) has been quite entertaining:) I look forward to continuing on in this series.

Now, to start book #2. Many people have prepared lists of what they will be reading this year. A list of 52 (or whatever their goal is) books. I am not that prepared. Plus, I will get super dissapointed if I do not meet my goal. So I have made smaller lists. As in, I know that I want to read the book Matched. Yep, love my YA fiction:) I also would like to read through the Little House series, as well as the Anne of Green Gable series. However, I can not go to the library or book store for at least 2 more days... So I must rely on what books I have in the house. I have several to choose from, most of which would be re-reads (fine by me.) The two that are sticking out right now are The Kind Diet and Escape. I purchased and read the latter shortly after it came out. Loved it. For some reason I am very intrigued by polygamy. Fiction is okay, (Big Love anyone?) but reading/watching how it really works/does not work for real families is just fascinating to me... Decisions, decisions...

Book Count: 1
Page Count: 256

52 books in 52 weeks?

I recently found out about the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge. I really love to read - I spent most of my childhood and teen years reading something. Anything. Recently (aka - since I became a mommy) I have had a hard time finding time to read. When I read, I tend to fully immerse myself in the book - it's like I am in the book, and have become one of the characters. It is hard for me to fully enjoy whatever a book has to offer (let alone follow the storyline) when I can rarely sit for longer than 10 minutes interupted. But I am going to make an effort to make this happen. I need to read more. I want to read more.

One of the rules is that the book must not be a children's book. Well, I like alot of books aimed at the 9+ age range (like Harry Potter - yep, HP fan here.) So I fully intend to count any chilrden's books that I read towards my 52! This is partially due to the fact that today I started book #6 of the How To Train Your Dragon series. Yes, I realize that they are totally silly kids books, but sometimes, that is just what I need to read!

The idea is 52 books in 52 weeks, but I doubt that it will end up to 1 book each week. I am sure some will take me more (or less) than a week to finish. Each week starts on Sunday (today.) I will keep track of how many books (and words, just because) I have read:)

Right now I am reading A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons. I have read the entire series (up through this book) over the past couple of months, and have really enjoyed it. I will likely be back with a synopsis, and my next book, in the next couple of days!