A foodie's quest to turn up the heat through strength and conditioning with whole food and a hungry mind.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Meatless Monday: Pumpkin Omelettes and A Goodbye to Our Dog, Candy


Hey there, how was your short-as-usual weekend? Hopefully pleasant and filled with healthy, delicious food! Unfortunately, mine was sad and not a great way to welcome the Fall season.

Our family dog, Candy, who lived at my mom's and was a black lab mixed breed, passed away.  She started acting weird early last week, and the vet just said it was arthritis.  Turns out, they later confirmed she had cancer that was too far along and had to be put down.  Since I don't live too close anymore, I just found out after it happened.  It was mostly expected, but you never think so soon.

I don't have any pictures on my computer, but she was a sweet dog who loved to chase fireworks and bring home half alive rodents to show off. She was around 12 human years old and lived an exciting life with loving friends and family. So, to Candy, I'm sorry I didn't get to see you that much these past years, but you will always be with my in my heart.

On a lighter note, I made Kelley and me pumpkin omelettes inspired from Heather at Kiss My Broccoli and they were a delight! I used only egg whites and no filling but they were perfect; light, fluffy, filled with pumpkin pie spice, and healthy!  Thank you, Heather, for the great recipe that will be used a lot in my home!

The soymilk maker I just got made some delicious soy milk and another batch with half pistachio, half soy nuts.  After allowing the milk to cool, I added a touch of sea salt, bit of stevia, and some vanilla extract which is way better than store bought to me. So goodbye Silk Almond Milk and hello homemade! Now I just have to turn Kelley into a fan and we'll no longer need to buy organic skim milk!
Nothing like fresh-made soymilk in your Sunday coffee!

The leftover pulp from the milk, called okara, was enough to create delicious vegetarian okara burgers.  These will be a great change from the usual steamed beans and veggies for Meatless Monday.
Okara patty on a portobello; I was too excited to try before taking a picture....hence the giant bite marks on the right. So good and easy!

Recipes to come, I promise, just not sure how soon since this week will be work-focused most of the time.  Boo, I know, but work pays the bills and lets me get the healthy, delicious food I love so dearly.

Speaking of, I better go and get to work! Have a wonderful Monday!

Have you lost a loved animal? I'm sure most of us have, but how do you cope or comfort others?

I know my mom misses our dog, but thankfully she has another, spunky little dog who stays at her side wherever she goes. I think the comfort of your other animals can help console you after losing another pet.

Also, congrats to Renata for winning the Navitas Naturals giveaway, hope you enjoy the Cacao and Lucuma powders! Thanks to all who entered!

4 comments:

  1. Hey RC! I'm sorry about the loss of your family dog :( I know how you feel...we had to put down our family cat this past April, and we all took it pretty hard. I was the one who actually had to encourage my mum to take him to the vet to be put down...he was just getting so sick (his kidneys were shutting down, he was peeing EVERYWHERE, his fur was matting up and smelling really bad, he was down to only 6 lbs...basically a walking skeleton with fur). Just seeing him alive like that and in pain was harder than having him put down. So although we're sad that he's gone, we've come to realize it's better than having him alive and suffering. We actually had him cremated so we have his ashes divided amongst a few little vials and in a little urn from the vet, so he's kind of still with us, just a little ;)

    But I love the looks of your food! The pumpkin omelette looks tasty! I totally want to try to make a vegan version of it. Pumpkin flavoured anything sounds really good right now ;) And I can't wait for the recipe for the okara "burger!" Very creative! I've actually never made my own soy milk before...I should give it a shot!

    Have a nice week...and happy fall...a few days late ;)

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    1. Hi Danni, sorry to hear about your cat. Like you, I feel it's better to put them down and not make them live and suffer. No one enjoys it. Thank you for your well wishes.

      I agree, pumpkin everything seems to fit the bill right now. Along with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg! Maybe I should mix pumpkin with the okara for a very interesting okara pumpkin burger. Hmmmm, I'll be sure to post my findings!

      You have a great week too and happy fall as well. Better late than never, right?

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  2. Sorry to hear about your family dog, so sad :( I am intrigued about your soy milk maker! I've never heard of one before, we make alot of nut milks in the blender though... :)

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    1. Thank you, Ellie, we all miss her, but it's no good having a pet that's suffering.

      The soy milk maker is awesome, I definitely suggest you look into it. Of course, it basically does what you do in the blender, but with the push of a button. It cooks and then blends everything into milk. Then you strain and enjoy!

      Have a great week into the weekend!

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