I have a new review up at Pure Textuality!

Things are really busy right now, in a very good way!

First we got snow, then freezing rain! I stayed home Thursday because the sidewalks and streets were a sheet of ice! And it’s been bitter cold.

I’ve been lucky because my power has not gone out; hundreds of thousands of Seattle area residents have been without power for days.

We don’t get a lot of snow in this area (we deal in rain, mostly . Seattle has around two dozen snow plows, but the main roads were kept clear. The schools were closed most of last week.

Today, Sunday, we have some slush left, but the temperature is going up and we just have rain and wind!

Today, I’m off to buy tomatoes and 21 grain bread, clean house, and finish a book so I can write a review for Pure Textuality.

And tonight, I’m going to watch two of my favorite t.v. programs, Once Upon a Time and Downtown Abbey!

More pictures of our snow:

My blood sugars are beautiful, I have more energy, and I’m sleeping lots better.

Vegan cooking is new to me, though, and it’s been a challenge.

Let’s talk about tofu for a moment.

I know, I’m a party animal.

Anywho, I yesterday I attempted to dry-fry some tofu.

I had an excellent recipe. This recipe calls for the cook to press out some of the tofu’s excess moisture, but leave some in so that when frying the tofu in a cast iron pan, the moisture left in the tofu helps it fry.

Well, my attempt was a disaster, because I tried to fry on too high a heat (I have an electric stove in this apartment and I haven’t quite mastered the controls yet).

I didn’t take a picture of the results. Trust me, you don’t want to see the results. Total yuck.

So I decided not to try dry-fry tofu until I’ve mastered an easier method of cooking tofu–baking!

This morning I headed down to QFC and bought another block of organic tofu.

Using my son’s method, I pressed the moisture out of tofu, using paper towels, and weighing the tofu down for 15-30 minutes. Then I poured a sauce of soy sauce and garlic powder on the tofu, pressed a bit more liquid out, cubed it, and baked the tofu at 350 degrees for twenty minutes.

And here is the result:

And it’s delicious!

I’ve also had good luck with some other vegan recipes: Mushroom Barley soup, lentil soup, and Dreena’s apple swirl loaf. I liked Dreena’s recipe so much I bought her book The Everyday Vegan. Dreena also has a blog!

I feel like I’m learning how to cook all over again.

So far I’m not missing meat and dairy (well, I do hanker for some Swiss cheese every so often), but I feel terrific (except for a bit o’ gas every so often, all of the veggies and fiber .

Tonight I’m going to have a tofu and veggie stir fry with brown rice.

Yummy!

via RANDOMS: Welcome To Our New Blogger Beth (@bunnybetha).

Okay, let’s try this again!

I’m home with a sore throat today, which is a good excuse (I’m using it anyway), because this is the third time I’ve tried to use the “press this” feature from Jena’s blog Pure Textuality.

I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite books with Jena’s readers, and I’m excited to get started; I hope to have a review ready to go sometime this weekend.

Okay, I’m going to try this again; third time’s a go!

Was yesterday, and I’ve been feeling nostalgic since learning this.

I grew up watching The Danny Thomas show.

On black and white television.

There was no internet, no cell phones or Kindle readers, just television and radio.

Sigh.

I got a sinus infection in November that was a real pip to get rid of, and kept me feeling crummy for over a month.

Worse, the infection threw my blood sugars out of whack, not a good thing for me. And I’ve had problems keeping my blood sugars under control since (the holidays did not help, feeling too worn out to exercise, etc., you get my drift here I hope).

So with my blood sugars being high, I’ve been cranky (even more so than usual), tired, and hungry all the time.

My son Jay is eating vegan these days, so I’ve been exposed to information about being vegan, foods, etc.

I tried some vegan recipes, bought Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes, and then started cutting out all meat and dairy products out of my diet.

For real.

And some amazing things happened, within a few days. My blood sugars dropped 20 points in a few days, my energy level peaked (I’m now coming home from work and exercising, completing household tasks), my appetite is under control, and I’m sleeping better.

I also have this marvelous feeling of lightness. Have you ever eaten a heavy meal and felt like there was a lead weight in your stomach? It feels like I’ve had a lead weight surgically removed.

This way of eating is not without its challenges–I’m not a great fan of many legumes–but it’s possible to hide beans in recipes, and I’m eating tofu, drinking soy milk, etc.

This week I’ve thrown away, with great ceremony, the eggs and cheese that were in my refrigerator. I’m not sure what to do with the meat and other frozen foods I’ve got stored. The refrigerator is stocked with veggies, tofu, and rye bread. My cupboards are getting stocked with oats, and wheat flours.

The best thing is that I feel satisfied, at least so far, with this way of eating. My hunger is much easier to control, and the feeling of being full is comfortable, not stuffed to the Magilacooties.

My tummy was a bit upset one night (all the fiber), and my taste buds are asking me what the heck is up–soy milk and tofu have very different textures from meat and dairy products. Dr. Barnard’s book cautions that it takes about three weeks to adjust to the new foods.

So that’s what I’ve been up to, besides work and the usual stuff. I’m making a mushroom barley soup for dinner (pictured below), and will add a salad and maybe a slice of rye bread to round out my meal.

I will probably be passing on some vegan recipes, from time to time, and keeping you updated with gut-wrenching detail!

I’ve been spoiled by the “Bones” series, the characters at The Jeffersonian, the witty dialogue, and the magic between Tempe and Seeley Booth.

This book was okay, but Reichs has an annoying habit (at least to me) of ending her chapters with a sentence or two that attempts to be a cliff hanger. I prefer more subtle attempts to keep me reading.

And Tempe seems to be stuck in her life, not really happy, way too focused on work, etc. In the television series “Bones,” Tempe’s relationship with Booth forces Tempe to look at her life in a new way, take chances. And she’s got good friendships with the people she works with; the book Tempe really has no friends.

I do not plan to read another book in this series, at least not right now. I’ll focus on watching the characters develop on the television series (as long as the quality stays good).

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This book was a Christmas present (thanks again, Kim V), and I liked it!

It’s cute, funny, a fast read.

But I’m in agreement with some of my fellow book club members–I would like to see Stephanie grow, make some decisions (especially about her love life) that find her moving ahead a little. Our girl seems kind of stuck in the same old rut, in her personal and professional lives.

When I think of Stephanie’s character, I’m reminded of the times in my life when I’ve been stuck, afraid to move forward, mired in indecision, confusion, and frustration. For me, something has usually happened to bitch slap me out of my funk (a broken heart, health or financial crisis), so that I finally get off the fence and do something with my life instead of just thinking about it!

So I’m hoping Janet E. gives Stephanie a crisis, something, to wake her up and get her out of this rut.

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2012?

It can’t be!

Life has been busy, but really good these days, with work, the holidays, family, and just taking time out to be.

Christmas was fun, as it always is, surrounded by my extended family.

Best quote from Christmas Eve:

Mom to five year-old B: “B, is Justin Bieber real?”

B: “He’s real, but I wish he wasn’t.”

Ha!

So 2012 is right around the corner, and I wish each and every one of you a rich year, filled with life, love and happiness.

See you next year.

Favorite quote of the week:

“Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever…” Isak Dinesen