Review: Special Issue - Meal Plans Made Easy

Title: Meal Plans Made Easy
Clean Eating Magazine Special Issue

In the Magazine Section
at your local Barnes and Noble
OR
Clean Eating Magazine.com

I picked this up because plain and simple, I am addicted to cookbooks and any cookbook that is smaller and handy, is awesome in my book. I really had no idea how much I was going to love this book and I don't just mean book porn or food porn!

I have been making these  meals and following the plans for a week now and I LOVE IT! Each recipe is so easy and so good. I literally went shopping one day and then each morning, I gather all my stuff together and either eat it then or take it with me to work. I LOVE IT!

I have been struggling with losing weight and I couldn't figure it out. I finally realized I wasn't getting enough protein in my diet. These meal plans have solved that. The majority of them have protein in 2 of the 3 meals.

It also tells exactly how much to serve - a bunch of grapes - about 15, just for those of us (ME!) that don't know what a bunch means. It has really awesome combinations I would never have put together myself.

I also learned how to make my own homemade dressings for salads. I am not a fan of salad dressing. Haven't been for awhile. They are too thick, too sweet or too syrupy. The ones I made at home were so easy and super light, but gave good flavor.

Also a favorite of mine was the occasional juice drink! YUM!!!!

There are two things I would change. ONE, I am dairy free and it includes a bunch of dairy products like cheeses, yogurt, cottage cheeses. I would prefer a back page with substitutions. TWO, I do not know how to broil or poach eggs nor some of the other cooking methods they simply state in here. A page of brief explanation would be good too!

Now, for the food porn -

This was MY FIRST TIME EVER making soup from scratch and it was AWESOME!! Asparagus Soup -
(PS I need to buy a blender bc this spilled over my puree machine)

Asparagus soup with the dressings - crab meat, toasted croutons (GF), red peppers and some cheese garnish (DF). 

This was the ever incredible steak salad with broiled (I think) steak - very rare (sorry for those who prefer well done) with arugula, romaine, mushrooms, carrots and other stuff I can't remember. OH and homemade dressing!!!

Breakfast one morning of a fried egg (bc I couldn't remember how to poach) over arugula, crab meat and toast.

Review - Marked by PC Cast

Title: Marked
House of Night Novel #1
Author: PC Cast
Publisher: St Martins
Publish Date: May 1, 2007

GoodReads
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

So I have been hearing about these books FOREVER! Really, so many people I know talk about these books and how fabulous they are! I keep thinking, I really need to read those books, but just haven't got to them. As a reader, you know how it is. The list just never ends.

I knew I had Marked on my Nook at least a year ago. Knowing I had read it, I bought the second book, Betrayed because I am not a fan of rereading books. I remember them too quickly to really enjoy them for a second time. I started reading, but realized I couldn't remember a thing that happened in the first book. I flipped back to Marked and realized I was only on page 4! I had just assumed I had read it!

I immediately started reading Marked from the beginning and haven't been able to put them down since. I am completely and utterly in love with the story plot. Knowing how it would feel to be marked, but not really knowing what that means other than my entire life will change, would be so awful. Then add on top of that, family that doesn't support or understand me, I'd feel very alone. We are lucky that PC Cast made such a strong female character in Zoey. She uses her Chereoke heritage to stay strong and be in touch with the elements around her. The character development is fascinating. I have a premonition about Aphrodite, the mean spirited, high reigning girl at the House of Night school that loves to torment Zoey. Her best friend and roomy, Stevie-Ray is awesome and so sweet! Her triangle of love interests is a bit much, but who hasn't been in a position where they haven't known whom to choose, but they all seem right when you are standing in front of them?!

This is a set of books I would love to see turned in to a movie, though I do keep hearing similar thoughts behind after book 6, things change and not necessarily for the good. I am hoping I can adapt to the feelings and thoughts of change, but we will see.

Summary -

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed.  In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire -- that is, if she makes it through the Change.  Not all of those who are chosen do.  It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling.  She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx.  But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers.  When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

The Last Survivor Series by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Title: Life As We Knew It
The Last Survivor Series
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Publish Date: Oct 1, 2006
Publisher: Harcourt Children Book
337 pages

GoodReads
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

I am completely and utterly enamored with this book. Instantly pulled in and forever will be talking or thinking about this concept. Fascinating!

All the scientists and world are talking about the moon being hit with an asteroid. The entire world turns out to see it. Only it turns out to be a bit denser that they predicted, completely changing the world - as they knew it. Tsunamis, volcanoes, and all sort of natural disasters destroy so many people and parts of the world. Would you survive? Would your family? And what would you do and how far would you go to save yourself and loved ones?

HELLO?! SO FASCINATING!!

I just love this book. The characters were awesome. The main character, Miranda, is so real and I love her for that. She is down to earth, a sweet person who wants a normal life and fall in love. What her dreams are become nothing to what she will deal with in the following time after the impact. She has so many conflicts with her mother who is trying to save her family while Miranda is trying to decipher who she is. Then there is her older brother who is away at college, but comes home and learns he may not be the end all be all. Her younger brother ends up being the one the entire family feels has the best chance to survive because he is strong and young. They give up so much to keep him well and alive.

Meanwhile the surrounding neighborhood is drowning in not enough food, beggars, sickness, gangs with guns. As people are dying Miranda's family must decide will they help and risk their own lives.

This raises such wonderful discussions for me and those around me. Okay, really it just impressed me, but I still managed to bring it up in many conversations.

Honestly, I really didn't care for book Number 2 in the series, but I am loving #3 where they pick up with Miranda's family where they left off in book 1.

Summary -

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

Review: Eve and Adam

Title: Eve and Adam
Author: Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publish Date: Oct 2, 2012
291 pages

GoodReads
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

I was really excited to get my hands on this book. I love the concept! A woman who creates a boy. Feminist at its best. lol

Actually, it was just really nice to read a book that was totally different than an other I have read. I had an inkling where it was going, as I had participated in a discussion on books and triangle love stories, but things never are exactly as you expect.

Evening, which is an incredible name btw, is a daughter of a brilliant scientist who has done a few things to cut corners around laws and yet, has saved millions of people from deathly diseases. How far would you go to save humans from diseases? But the story goes so much deeper than that.

In comes Solo, a boy that Eve has no idea about. He has been living in the building where his mom works (plays God) and yet, she doesn't know why he is there or what he is doing. There is a definite attraction there though. But what does he want?

Then Eve's mother gives her this project to keep her busy while recovering, to create her dream guy - on a computer. Easy, right? You just input the data and he is shown on a screen. But could he be created to be real? Would she want this? What would she feel if he were real?

Okay, seriously loved this book. CANNOT WAIT to read the next book, Adam and Eve.

Summary -

And girl created boy…

In the beginning, there was an apple—

And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.

Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.

Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?

Review - Origin by Jessica Khoury

Title: Origin

Author: Jessica Khoury
Publisher: Razorbill
Publish Date: Sept 4, 2012

GoodReads
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

When I first started reading this book, the movie Species popped in my head. I kept comparing the two simply because it was a woman/girl that was specially made, kept in a glass box, being watched and tested, then she gets out. In reality, the story lines are very different.

I really liked this book. It was so different than anything I have read it awhile. I love Pia, the main character. She was sweet and innocent and I especially loved that she was kind and caring. She wants the ultimate goal, to get to a point in her testing to be proven worthy to know the secret to herself and building others just like her. Even though she is surrounded by people, her family and workers, she is lonely because no one really knows who she is and what she needs. Then she notices a hole in the fence surrounding her home and curiosity gets the best of her. Out in the real world, she meets a local tribal boy and her world expands exponentially.

This writing was so spectacular. I cannot wait to see where this goes. I really hope there is a followup to this book. I cannot divulge the ending because that is the worst, but I hope for more.

Summary -

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home--and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia's origin--a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost.

Meal Planning

In order to be healthier, I have to start making my food ahead of time. I really sink low when I don't have food on hand ready to eat. I have tried so many times to wait to make dinner after work, but working in retail really makes that difficult. Some days I am off at 330pm, other 630, 730 and even 930 and later. It just doesn't bode well. I have been really good since my detox. No gluten at all. I did forget one time when I was eating at a restaurant. The fork was poised at my mouth and I realized I hadn't specified gluten free. The server was so kind and switched it out no problem. Whew! So I have been thinking and planning how to be more organized in the food department.

This week I found a really awesome cookbook that has inspired me called Gluten Free Made Simple by Carol Field Dalhstrom. Now let me tell you, I have read a lot of books that say simple and they are not. This one totally IS SIMPLE. I am excited. It is full of recipes I love. So this week, I sat down and planned out five meals I would have along with leftover options. Crazy, I know.

My boyfriend called and asked if because he is not gluten free would he need to make his own food.  This is how uneducated our society is about allergies. I myself knew NOTHING about it until I realized I am sensitive to it. Drives me nuts how many people want to be rude about how they feel it is a fad and won't last! So I told him not to worry. I love to cook and will always want to cook for us. I am such a fan of making my lunch and a lunch for him too!! I told him we would be trying some new stuff, but the weirdest would probably be the stuffed peppers because he is not a huge fan of vegetables. I will definitely warn him when I want to cook something I know he may not like, but realistically it won't have anything to do with gluten free food, but rather vegetables.

Here is what I am planning -

Meatloaf and polenta (with spaghetti sauce over polenta)
Stuffed peppers with salad
Steak with scalloped corn
Chicken nuggets (GLUTEN FREE PEOPLE) and sweet potato fries (real potatoes)

I am pretty stoked because I already made the prep work for the stuffed peppers and I also mixed up a batch of broccoli slaw to go with my lunches. I have bought my first loaf of GF bread and had a really nice sandwich today. It was surprisingly good. I wasn't sure about the GF bread, as I am a fan of really soft bread and the fridge or freezer breads tend to be either too mushy or really brittle. But I bought what I wanted - after much angst - yummy raisin bread. Not a usual choice for lunch bread, but who cares? I'm happy.

I am also planning to revamp my baking cupboards this weekend. I would like to ultimately have a bin for the following - GF Flour (all purpose), lentils, beans, corn starch, premixed dry waffle and pancake mix, dry fruits and a few others ready at hand. I would also love to have some sort of system for herbs, but seriously have no clue what to do for that. Ideas for herbs? Plus, my baking is all up on top of my kitchen so I am looking to make it easier to reach each item.

Also I am really excited that my boyfriend and I are going out on the town to try out some GF beer for me!! I am not a huge drinker. It is actually pretty rare for me to drink, but I am curious and my boyfriend LOVES beer, so why not?

What are your food plans for the week?

PS Check out these really awesome food sacks that I picked up at The Container Store!!! I am so excited to be using less plastic. Seriously some of the best gifts for me revolve around my lunch.

Why I was adorable as a child

One of my favorite stories of myself as a child happens to be horribly disgusting too. I am reminded by it often too.

My mother, sister and I were driving with the windows down. Just as my mother and sister started to gag, I took a deep breath in and said, Wow what smells so good? I'm hungry!"

My mother says, "Well that is the Purina Puppy Chow plant."

At the time, I didn't get it, but every time I pass it again, I happen to start laughing. I can't squelch what a total nerd I was.

Blessedly happy one though.