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kriskebob-blog · 6 years ago

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Day 4: Rainy Saturdays are for cooking (and Netflix)

Hi all. As I write this, it’s the winding down of a gorgeous (and HOT) sunny Sunday here in CT but when I woke up yesterday, I actually thought it still had to be 6am or earlier because it was so dark in our room. Turns out it was actually 8:30am and just pouring buckets outside. Good day to stay inside and cook some comfort food items.

My second breakfast recipe from Dr. G’s cookbook was definitely simpler than the burrito bake: French toast with a berry drizzle. I also wanted to make a fruit compote for an extra topping. The cookbook’s recipe is titled as a pear compote, but pears are out of season right now, and honestly why would you put a few sad-looking Bartletts in your grocery basket when there are farmstand peaches just up the road? To my delight, when I flipped open the cookbook on Saturday morning I read a line I hadn’t noticed before: you could vary it up by using apples, peaches, or plums in place of the pears. Perfect!

Sam was still sleeping (he tends to be a bit more of a late riser compared to me on most days). I enjoyed the solitude for a bit and diced up four peaches as I listened to the rain. The compote was honestly super easy to throw together once the peaches were chopped. I threw them in a pot with some water, blended lemon, raisins, date sugar, vanilla extract, and some spices. I left that to simmer while I prepped the plant-based version of a dipping mixture for the toast. And in case you’re wondering, no, I did NOT find salt-free bread at the grocery store. I found the whole wheat bread that had the lowest amount of sugar/sodium and least amount of funky-sounding ingredients on the label and called it a day. (As an aside, Sam had thought he’d be required to give up toast completely during these two weeks and was really excited when he came home on Friday and saw a loaf of bread sitting on the counter, it was kind of cute.)

I had to make my own almond milk for the French toast dipping mixture. Dr. G. doesn’t approve of store-brought almond milk, too many chemicals or whatever. Not a whole food! Luckily, I already had almond butter from my first grocery shopping extravaganza of the week. All you had to do by Dr. G’s standard was blend a couple tablespoons of almond butter with some water and ta-da, you’ve got almond milk that’s apparently less likely to kill you. For the French toast, Dr. G. instructed that I needed to mix some ground flaxseed with a bit of warm water and then add it in with the almond milk. More date sugar, vanilla extract, a bit of turmeric and cinnamon, and boom.

Sam was awake by now and I immediately put him on toasting duty. He’s become the defacto breakfast-cooking king in our household over the past 5 years, which is odd really when he’s less the morning person of the two of us. But he genuinely enjoys whipping up eggs, bacon, French toast, etc. on the weekends, and I’ve certainly never been about to stop him. He got out our griddle and began dipping the bread while I set about making the “berry drizzle.” Dr. G advised I use this as a condiment for the French toast in place of maple syrup. It has two ingredients: 1 cup of fresh or frozen berries and a couple of tablespoons of date syrup.

The date syrup became yet another case of my assuming I’d be able to throw together a Dr. G. sauce or condiment quickly in my blender, only to discover I actually needed to soak a key ingredient in hot water for an hour or more. Oops. Oh well. I’d use a tablespoon of agave nectar in its place and that would just have to do.

Here’s the berry drizzle in a super cute pitcher our family friend Kelly gave us as an engagement gift years ago:

Adorable, right? Ignore whatever that spot is on our table. Anywho, I can report that Sam didn’t love toasting the bread on our griddle without using any oil spray. The slices did stick a little but we salvaged most of it. The peach compote had reduced nicely by then and we were in business.

It was super delicious. The peach compote is definitely what made the dish, although the berry drizzle was tasty as well. Both were made with local and in-season fruit so it’s pretty hard to go wrong there.

Sam and I settled in for a lazy morning of Netflix (we’re watching Stranger Things - second watch for me, first time for Sam!). By 11 I had to admit to myself that I really needed to get my ass to the gym, even though it was still miserable outside. I moaned and groaned at Sam (he had gone the night before and wouldn’t be accompanying me) but eventually got my ass into gear. I was curious: I’ve been eating plant-based for, you know, a whole two and a half days now. Would I have more energy at the gym? Would I just be able to sense the power of a thousand vegetables coursing through my veins on the treadmill?

The answer: NOPE. I actually felt a bit more winded than usual which, of course, set off an anxiety thought spiral in my brain. Damn it. Maybe this diet isn’t actually good for me. Am I not getting enough protein? People always harass vegans about their protein, maybe it’s a legitimate concern!

I made it through my workout perfectly fine, though, just a little more tired than usual. I trudged home and showered, and then Sam and I had leftover spinach-mushroom burritos and salad for lunch. The weather still sucked and we didn’t have any plans, so we watched some more Netflix but eventually split up to do our own things. I wanted to read more of Dr. G’s How Not to Die book. It was a huge book, after all, and the clock was ticking on my library loan. I settled in but was having some trouble focusing. I just felt tired. Again I had the thought that maybe this diet wasn’t actually for me. That I wasn’t getting enough or x or y since making this switch a few days ago. I stood up and eyed our pantry shelves. I grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and ate them, but that didn’t feel quite satisfying (go figure). I noticed the giant container of unsalted roasted almonds I’d bought the day before and decided to take the plunge and open them up. I’m used to eating nuts from those giant mixed nuts containers you get at the grocery store, the ones where even the “33% LESS sodium!!!” version is still salty as hell. So I wasn’t sure what to expect exactly when I tried these unsalted almonds, but I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I actually like the taste of almonds when it’s not completely masked by salt. I grabbed a handful and then went to the fridge and got a handful of blueberries. They tasted amazing together. I happily settled back into my chair and felt myself perking up like a wilted plant that had been watered. By the time Sam came upstairs maybe half an hour later, the clouds had lifted outside and in my brain. We went for a walk. I suddenly felt more energetic than I’d felt all day. Maybe it had just been the dreary weather bringing me down.

We returned home and decided that for the first time, we would try the Monster expansion pack of our beloved Harry Potter tabletop game. It took a long time just to set it up and try to figure out all of the new rules. We then decided to get dinner prepped because it would need some simmering time on the stove: it was gumbo night, y’all! I was excited because I love the flavor profile of Cajun/Creole cuisine. It was pretty easy to prep. Some chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic went into our Dutch oven with one cup of the homemade veggie broth I’d made the other day. I quickly thawed out the frozen okra in a separate small saucepot and eventually that went into the Dutch oven too with some diced tomatoes (BPA-free, thank you very much~), diced zucchini, and lots of delicious seasoning. We then added quite a bit of broth - everything that was left of the batch I’d made. It was a really nice, thick broth since I had pulverized all of the veggies the water had steeped in. We brought everything to a boil, threw in a can of red kidney beans (not BPA-free, alas), and simmered the gumbo for about half an hour. When it was done, we served it over brown rice, per Dr. G’s suggestion.

Here’s a little pot action before we added in all of the broth and the beans:

And here’s the finished product:

The verdict?? SO GOOD! I loved it and actually got seconds. Sam liked it too; I don’t think he loved it quite as much as I did but then I’ve always been a bigger lover of Cajun food. Dr. G. claims his recipe makes four 1.25 cup servings, but it honestly made WAY more than that for us. I feel like his math was off... like, he accounted for the 6 cups of broth but not the fact that there were a ton of veggies and beans added in to the pot as well?? Not to mention the brown rice. But I’m not complaining, because I love the way it turned out, and it’ll be lunch for the next couple of days now. Oh, and I did salt the veggies a little bit when they were first steaming in the Dutch oven, and our Cajun-free seasoning was definitely NOT salt-free (salt is actually the first ingredient, lawl ¯\_(ツ)_/¯), so I’m sure that helped a bit.

I think that’s really all there is to report! Other than the fact that we went back to our Harry Potter game after dinner and failed miserably. The creatures/villains completely murdered us on round 1. Oh well. Another day maybe...

Cheers to what I think might be my shortest blog post yet. See you tomorrow!

Gadget rec of the day: an electric griddle! We use it almost every weekend. Definitely had to wipe a trace coating of bacon grease from it today though... It’s a lifesaver for us especially since we have such a lousy stove.

Music rec of the day: (Nothing But) Flowers by the Talking Heads

#food #foodblog #foodblogging #veganfood #plantbased #wholefoods #eatingplants

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marblefeet08-blog · 6 years ago

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What I Ate Wednesday

What’s up, wonderful pals?

It’s that busy season again! I’m spending loooots of time working at our first Alchemy location these days along with overseeing some different catering events. The business ebbs and flows month to month and it can be tough to juggle it all; but these crazy times always make me grateful for slower, more quiet mornings and weeks where I have a little more time. No rain, no flowers!

Life update: Yesterday I went to get a can of beans where I keep extra food in our coat closet and found a MOUSE that had eaten its way (and pooped its way) through all the dry food I’d stored in there. It was horrifying!! And the worst part is we didn’t even catch it. Anyone else dealing with crazy bugs and mice lately? Holler at me.

Before we get into the food, don’t forget about $50 off your first two weeks of Blue Apron! It’s a rad deal, especially for when you’re in a cooking rut.

Breakfast

Breakfast lately has been toast. It’s quick and easy. We ran out of oats for Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal so Van’s multigrain waffles or Trader Joe’s sprouted wheat berry bread have been my best friend (I keep several loaves of that and sourdough in the freezer at all times). I ate at Alchemy so I had all the yummy toppings at my fingertips. One slice was piled high with avocado, beet kraut, za’atar, and micro greens. The other had almond butter, banana, coconut bacon, smoked sea salt, and raw local honey. With coffee, of course. Divine!

Lunch

Lunch was leftovers from a big catering event we had for TRISM. I took home a ton of our maple tamari tofu, sauteed greens, herbed rice (there’s actually very little nutritional difference between brown and white rice), chipotle sweet potato hummus, and cabbage slaw. I’ve been eating it for days!

Snacks

Afterward lunch I was craving something sweet. Brownie bites to the rescue! I whipped up a batch of these over the weekend by first blending 1/2 cup almonds and 1 cup walnuts in the food processor. Then I added a cup of pitted Medjool dates, 5 tbsp cacao powder, 1 tsp bourbon vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, and a splash of almond milk until a dough ball formed. I rolled them in cacao and froze them and they taste like amazing little brownies!

A couple hours later I noshed on my favorite crackers with Hope Foods’ spicy avocado hummus.

Dinner

Dinner was bean balls with fusili noodles and Kirkland’s organic marinara plus roasted zucchini and summer squash from our CSA box. I doubled the recipe, used one can of chickpeas and one can of black beans, used a heaping cup oats instead of breadcrumbs, and added Worcestershire sauce and some marinara. Recipes are meant to be messed with!

I’m really into this ancient grains pasta we found at Costco (notice the hole which I now realize is from the mouse, OMG). Sometimes people think it’s weird I shop there because it’s just the two of us, but I can’t tell you how fast we fly through giant bags of pasta, marinara sauce, nut butter, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and coffee.

For dessert, we enjoyed these Pumpkin Muffins because I’m craving all things fall! I used one cup unbleached all purpose flour and 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour. I also doubled the cinnamon, cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup, used avocado oil, swapped soy milk for almond milk, and used blackstrap molasses. Soooo yummy! Also, if you’re craving chili like I’ve been, Isa’s Chipotle Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels is hands down my favorite along with her simple cornbread.

Oh and then Jeff and I split one of these amazing ice cream sammies because they were on sale at Kroger and I couldn’t not try one!

Workout

This was a nice and sweaty one but didn’t feel too mentally exhausting. I love making up random circuits like this when I don’t make it in time for a group class like yesterday. If you’re not a stair stepper fan, you can also do a mix of treadmill, rower, elliptical, or bike. I write them down in the notes section of my phone. You can find other ideas in the workout highlights of my instagram page!

Style Inspiration

Still obsessing over these jeans that I told you about last week. I love that I can dress them up at night with a floral lace trim cami (on sale for $16.99, this one has more sizes) and cute earrings! Also very into these pointed toe nude flats and these Franco Sarto ones (most comfy ever) for a heeled version.

As fall slowly approaches, I’m having a moment with jackets. How cute is this lush drapey open trench and this camo shirt jacket? I just ordered this faux fur hooded bomber in green because it’s a whopping 80% off. If you’re looking for winter stuff early, there’s a couple sizes of these black Uggs for under $100. I ordered these tan ones with a bow because, look at them. Lastly, here’s a cute black rain boot for under $30? I’ve never had rain boots so excited to see how these fit!

Have a fab day! And remember, enjoy where you are now.

Source: https://www.hummusapien.com/what-i-ate-wednesday-104/

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edgewaterfarmcsa · 5 years ago

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CSA WEEK 6

Pick List:

Lettuce - Beets - Summer Squash - Cucumber - Tomato - Kale - BlueBerries - Scallions

I am shocked by yesterday’s recurring thought of: so happy to see some rain, and catch a little cool down! Because of the rain, we were able to keep up with our succession plantings of lettuce, kol-crops, etc. We were also able to pick your CSA vegetables- in particular the greens (think kale and lettuce) at 11am instead of 5am. And even though I was wearing wool in July (something I hate doing), the brief cool down really took the edge off. That said, my PTSD from this past March-May’s assault on Spring is very real. The continual cool damp weather did a number on our early plantings and we are still seeing the effects of it on our perennial crops (strawberries, raspberries, etc…). Speaking of perennial crops, I was beyond impressed with those of you who came out to glean strawberries in the ninety degree afternoon sun! I wish there had been more fruit out there for you all to enjoy- but as we have said many many many times this season so far, better luck next year. So long strawberries, onward to blueberries!!!

TIPS - TRICKS - RECIPES:

Juicing: TIS THE SEASON TO JUICE ALL THE FRESH FOODS!! Really and truly almost everything in your box this week is juiceable- clearly excluding summer squash, maybe someone can challenge me on this?? Some very popular crops that go well in a juicer or even smoothie are the following: beets! Kale! Cucumber! Tomato! Blueberries!

Roasted Kale and Beets with Honey-Horseradish Vinaigrette

Serves 3-4

1 bunch kale (about 12 leaves)

4 medium-sized beets (any kind – red, golden, striped, etc.)

melted coconut oil or ghee

flaky sea salt

handful of pumpkin seeds, if desired

Honey-Horseradish Dressing

Honey Horseradish Dressing

(Whisk all ingredients together)

3 Tbsp. cold-pressed olive oil

1 Tbsp. grated horseradish, plus more for garnish

1 tsp. raw honey (or maple syrup)

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

2 pinches sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 375��F / 190°C. Rinse and trim off ends of beets. Wrap in foil and place on a baking sheet and bake until you can easily pierce through the beets with a sharp knife (time depends greatly on size of beets, but around 60 minutes). Remove from oven and peel back a corner of the foil to let some of the steam out. When beets are cool enough to handle, slide the skins off.

2. Wash kale and spin entirely dry (otherwise the kale will just steam in the oven). Drizzle with a little oil and rub to coat each leaf, sprinkle with salt. When the beets are nearly done, place them on the lower shelf of the oven and put the kale chips on the middle to upper wrack. Bake until crisp – about 15 minutes.

3. Slice beets into any shape you desire – I chose thin discs to show their interior pattern, but quarters or cubes is fine too. Toss with a little of the dressing and set aside.

4. To assemble, place a few whole kale leaves on each plate, add dressed beets and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds if desired. Drizzle remaining dressing over the kale, and add more grated horseradish if you dare. Enjoy.

WHY YOU SHOULD LOVE SUMMER SQUASH by sarah britton of mynewroots:

Whichever one you choose, summer squashes are excellent sources of manganese and vitamin C and a very good source of magnesium, vitamin A (notably through its concentration of carotenoids, including beta-carotene), fiber, potassium, folate, copper, riboflavin, and phosphorus.

Many of these nutrients have been shown in studies to be helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Summer squash’s magnesium has been shown to be helpful for reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Together with the potassium in summer squash, magnesium is also helpful for reducing high blood pressure. The vitamin C and beta-carotene found in summer squash can help to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Since oxidized cholesterol is the type that builds up in blood vessel walls, these nutrients may help to reduce the progression of atherosclerosis.

My absolute fave way to eat summer squash:

Grilled! But my mother swears by sauteeing with onions and olive oil and calling it good.

That said, there is this recipe for…

SUMMER SQUASH PIZZA

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for fingertips

1 pizza dough (we have premade in our farmstand freezer!!)

2 1/2 pounds (about 5 small-medium or 3 large) zucchini or other summer squash, trimmed

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

2 cups (8 ounces) coarsely grated gruyere cheese

2 to 3 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs

Heat your oven to 500°F with a rack in the center. Brush either 1 13×18-inch rimmed half-sheet pan or 2 9×13-inch quarter-sheet pans (as I do) with olive oil. Divide your dough in half and use oiled fingertips to pull, stretch, nudge and press the dough across the bottom of the pan. The dough will be thin and imperfect; just try to get it even. If holes form, just pinch them together.

Use a food processor with a grater attachment or the large holes of a box grater to grate the zucchini. In a large bowl, toss together the zucchini and salt. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes (more, if you have the time), until the zucchini has wilted and released its water. Drain the zucchini in a colander and then use your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible, a fistful at a time. Back in the large bowl (wiped out if still wet), toss the zucchini with the gruyere shreds, being sure to break up any clumps of zucchini. Taste the mixture; it should be seasoned enough from the salt, but you can add more, plus ground pepper or pepper flakes if desired.

Spread the zucchini mixture over the dough(s), going all the way to the edges of the pan and piling it a bit thicker at the edges, where it will brown first. Sprinkle messily with the bread crumbs.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is golden. Remove from oven, cut into squares and dig in.

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newgirlsunshine · 7 years ago

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Friday, April 20, 2018

Today definitely woke up earlier. Got up at 10 a.m. though. The first thing did was pee and run to weigh myself. Had weighed myself yesterday and was 72.2 kg. This morning was 71.6 kg. There were 600 grams in less than a day! Was happy, but something bothered me. Yesterday had thought, that after so much sacrifice, okay, just 1 day of fasting, but stuck it in my head that wanted to see the number 70.9. Crazy. Crazy. So spent the day with this “little bug” tormenting me. Thought that since had fasted yesterday, maybe could eat something today. Had green tea with two small slices of bread, one with pesto and another with bruschetta. It was delicious. Did the chewing slowly technique.

My sister stayed home instead of going to work. And today my mother would arrive earlier as both would travel. Had already given up doing anything and was thinking of going to work super early. But my sister left. So took advantage of having an hour alone at home and went walk on the treadmill. Since am very anxious, marked only a 20-minutes walk, despite having 1 hour before my mother arrives. Walked on top speed however. Was sweating a lot, went to shower and washed my hair today too. This is a victory for those who wash their hair only once a week. You know, depression… But at bath time I threw up. Am anxious and if my level of anxiety grows slightly the nervous gastritis makes me vomit. Pain of the stomach’s contraction is horrible. I’m against Mia and don’t want to appeal to her because of it. My mind “travels” every time I go for a shower. Don’t know why, but I’m fighting it. Was thinking of the government. ehehe

Then my father came alone. My parents were taking turns in their company it seems. Finished typing the text of yesterday and translated it as well. This task is frustrating and time consuming, but it is what is saving me. This week was very productive. But I still want to get better. Then my mother arrived and told her I would like to go to work early. She didn’t say anything about food at that time. Was relieved. Got another quick shower and got ready. My brother arrived at this time of his trip with his girlfriend. In a few hours he would have to go to work too.

So made a serious mistake that I regretted. Packed two slices of pizza to bring to work. Had already thought about eating 1 slice today. Stuck in my head that if didn’t eat today I wouldn’t have the chance to eat anymore, that my brother and his girlfriend would eat everything. At home we don’t buy many pizzas of this level. They’re expensive. YES! YOU WILL BE ABLE TO EAT MORE! EVEN AFTER VARIOUS MONTHS! EVEN AFTER VARIOUS YEARS! Even if it is vegetarian zucchini pizza, it had lots of cheese, so, it wasn’t healthy. And the two slices were large. Why did I get two??? Because am gluttonous!!! At that time my mother asked if I had eaten. This question didn’t bother me this time because I had packed two giant slices of pizza. ¬¬"

When got to the store, the other employee, from the first shift, was there and lingered to leave. To earn more maybe, she earns for hour. Or because she doesn’t want to see the face of her husband or her son, don’t know, she and her husband are getting divorced. I felt she didn’t like that I arrived early. But from the face she made anyone could see it. Didn’t want to eat in front of her. She lingered and the pizza cooled. When I ate it was not so good. Yet ate like a pig. Also took a zero Coke. Binging time!

Got a bad breath and the taste of the pizza was in my mouth. To not serve customers that way bought a Trident Mint without sugar. And bought a zero Antarctica Guaraná. Decided that will fast tomorrow and Sunday. And am going to weigh myself monday morning only. Made a good sale today at the store, thanks God. Got home and walked the dog a full turn. Showered, brushed my teeth, and flossed. Did meditation for prosperity and went to sleep. Despite the binging, today was very good.

#depression #binging #binge #agoodday #zerosoda #anna

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365-money-diary · 7 years ago

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DAYS 188 - 194

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-EIGHT

8:40 AM - I get why people do these masks! My face feels amazing today. I rub on some new deodorant and leave for work. My tank is empty, so I stop for gas on the way. $25.59

9:05 AM - I arrive at work, toast a piece of bread, pour myself a toddy, and do my vitamin B-12 spray. I look at my finance pacing for the month and I’m a little over, but should be able to make it up pretty quick.

11:30 AM - I heat up the remaining portion of last week’s corn chowder. I’m super sick of it at this point and am definitely looking forward to changing it up for the rest of the week. I pair it with more leftover sweet potatoes.

2:00 PM - Boyfriend calls. We have free tickets to the Suns vs. Jazz preseason game tonight! We’re snobs about our seats and they’re in the 200 level so I told him I’d cover our upgrade. I can’t wait!

2:30 PM - Hunger strikes. I eat some pumpkin snaps. Best $2 investment ever.

5:00 PM - I leave work and head home. I let the dog out and change while toasting two slices of bread with some vegan cheese. I sandwich them together to make a shitty grilled cheese, crate the dog again, and head downtown.

6:15 PM - I park and walk to my boyfriend’s office and we walk over to Talking Stick Resort Arena. As we walk, I upgrade our tickets to the 10th row in the lower level. $80

7:00 PM - Our seats are so close! When security isn’t looking we move a couple rows closer to row 5. This the closest I’ve ever sat.

9:15 PM - We’re both pretty sleepy and head out with 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Everyone is playing their 3rd string players and we’re losing by 25 (typical). My only consolation is that Ricky Rubio is on my fantasy team and he killed it tonight for the Jazz. Hopefully he plays like this when the points count.

10:00 PM - We arrive home. Boyfriend makes some pasta because he hasn’t eaten yet. I’m not hungry, but my period says, “eat a snack,” so I open the package of vegetable gyoza that I bought a few weeks ago from Trader Joe’s. Props to the employee who recommended them because they are delicious!

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-EIGHT TOTAL: $105.59

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-NINE

8:40 AM - I have been woken up several times by the dog and now lawn equipment. Cool. I grab a vegetable barley soup container that I purchased last week from Costco and head out.

9:15 AM - I arrive at work and toast a piece of bread. I slather it with Melt butter and pour myself a toddy. I settle into my desk and do my B-12 regimen which I think is already starting to help!

11:15 AM - Everyone goes to Taco Bell and I can’t resist. It’s cheap and I’m menstrual. I get a side of beans (no cheese) and a side of chips and a fresco bean burrito. $3.54

12:30 PM - I blast through a proposal for a meeting I have scheduled tomorrow and spend my last half hour of work meandering around on the internet.

5:15 PM - We have plans as an office to go to a haunted house tonight. Boss drives us to North Phoenix where we eat at Chili’s. It’s surprisingly not terrible. As we start our second drink, my boss realizes the haunted house is closed -- and so are all of the others in the valley. Defeated, we drown our sorrows in more presidente margaritas. Boss pays.

7:45 PM - I arrive at home and find that the dog isn’t too phased by my late arrival. Boyfriend is working tonight so we didn’t exactly plan this very well. I let her out and veg on the couch for a few hours. Those margs knocked me out!

10:45 PM - Boyfriend comes home from work and we talk about our days. We watch the Simpsons but I’m asleep by the 2nd episode.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-NINE TOTAL: $3.54

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED NINETY

8:30 AM - The dog let me sleep last night! I wake up and shower and leave for work.

9:15 AM - I arrive at work and do the toddy toast thing. I spray some B-12. I’ll have to buy more tomorrow.

11:30 AM - I quickly walk to Sprouts and grab a bunch of kale, grape tomatoes, and a cucumber. I’ve had meetings all morning and I have another one this afternoon. $3.73

12:00 PM - Using the ingredients listed above, plus a red onion from a few weeks ago, I make a salad and top it with rosemary balsamic dressing. I’m not super into this dressing but I’m trying to get rid of condiments in the fridge here. I seem to be taking up an entire shelf of them. I also heat up some of the Costco vegetable barley soup I brought yesterday. It’s actually pretty good!

12:30 PM - Really long meeting starts now.

2:30 PM - Meeting ends! I grab my mug and fill it with hot water to steep some tea. I have this berryblossom white tea from Tazo that I’ve slowly been going through for the past year or so. It’s not very good, but it gives me that little extra caffeine kick and I need it today.

3:00 PM - One cup is not enough. I know my boyfriend and I are staying home tonight and I feel like that’s a prime opportunity for me to cook dinner instead of going out. I know we’re both trying to budget, so I message him to see what he wants to do and the answer is clear: pasta.

5:00 PM - I stop at Sprouts on my way home and buy some pasta, marinara, portabella mushrooms, basil, an onion, sweet peppers, a zucchini and some spinach. $14.93

5:30 PM - I sautee the veggies in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, cook the noodles, and heat up the sauce on the stove. I add some fresh garlic, chili flakes, and bay leaves to it to bring it to life a little.

6:30 PM - This meal rules and it made a bunch of leftovers. Probably enough for two more meals.

7:00 PM - We watch the Suns preseason game on TV against the Trailblazers. They get destroyed. Our point guards go for 1/14. Bad bad bad.

9:00 PM - We stop paying attention once we’re down by 25. I zone out on my phone for a while and boyfriend goes in the other room. Eventually I ask him what he’s up to and he shares an article with me about teens and anxiety. It was super interesting and it gives us a lot of perspective because we both struggle with it.

10:00 PM - That article made me super antsy. I have been working on launching my shop for quite a while but have been waiting on my boyfriend to build me a logo. At this rate, it won’t happen until Christmas, so I just launch my store without him. Hopefully I’ll get some sales and this won’t be a complete waste of money!

11:00 PM - I keep getting emails from USAA telling me they’re going to cancel my car insurance if I don’t pay up. It’s not due for another 12 days, but I fork over the $821.21 to cover myself for the next 6 months. This gets counted in my monthly expenses so I won’t count it here.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED NINETY TOTAL: $18.66

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED NINETY-ONE

8:30 AM - I check my instagram and everything for the new shop. Everything seems to be working really well (no sales yet) but I feel okay about it! I send the shop to my boyfriend who says he is so proud of me and that it looks very good!

8:15 AM - I do the toddy toast thing and do my B-12 regimen. I am definitely starting to feel much better. Going to continue this for 2-3 more weeks and then taper down to a normal daily dose.

12:00 PM - I am starving! I prepare the same lunch as yesterday: vegetable barley soup and a salad.

2:30 PM - I have to boost 45 posts today and I’m really not feelin’ it. I walk to Comoncy and grab a tea to motivate me. $5

4:30 PM - I finish boosting my posts. Feels good man.

5:30 PM - I arrive at home and toast some bread with a couple slices of Follow Your Heart cheese and make a “grilled cheese.” I leave the house with it hanging out of my mouth and boyfriend and I head to Tucson.

7:15 PM - We arrive at the BBQ we’re attending and the hosts were kind enough to have grilled us vegan Boca burgers. I am still hungry so I double down on the bread and make myself a sandwich. We converse with other attendees who have all gathered in honor of their friend who is visiting town from NY.

9:45 PM - It’s getting late, so we head back home.

11:45 PM - Bed.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED NINETY-ONE TOTAL: $5

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED NINETY-TWO

9:00 AM - I arrive at work and do the toddy toast thing.

11:30 AM - Coworkers and I go out to lunch. I splurge and get a beer with my veggie burger at hand cut. $23.43

7:00 PM - Boyfriend and I decide to order take-out Cornish Pasty for dinner. I cover our order which includes an order of oven chips, and two pasties. They have my favorite one tonight: vegan pesto! $29.57

7:30 PM - We decide to spend the night in. I cuddle up with the dog and a glass of wine and read Harry Potter for the rest of the night.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED NINETY-TWO TOTAL: $53.00

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED NINETY-THREE

8:45 AM - Up at a decent time! I check my phone and see that my friend Q needs a ride to work around 10. I say yes. Boyfriend and I spend a little time lounging in bed and eventually get ready.

10:00 AM - We pick up Q and head to Cartel. We end up striking a conversation with the barista who neither of us know. He gives us our drinks for free.

10:15 AM - We drop Q off at his work which is a record store. We don’t frequent it too often, but we use this as an opportunity to look around. I try to buy a Stephen Steinbrink album that I don’t have but Q ends up giving it to me for free.

11:00 AM - We stop at the post office so I can pick up a package. We head home after that.

1:15 PM - I eat a fig bar because we haven’t eaten food at all today. We decide to go to AZ Mills and do a lap and eat after at Gallo Blanco, but by the time we finish walking, I am super shaky and don’t feel well at all from lack of food. We decide to just head home. I order Jimmy Johns for us on my phone on the way. $18.77

2:30 PM - I am starting to feel a little better, but start getting super anxious about my set tonight. I feel very under prepared.

4:00 PM - I give myself a face mask and finish testing all of my new records that came in the mail earlier this week. A couple of them pop but I clean them and the problems seem to be fixed.

8:00 PM - I stop at Cartel for a tea on my way to my gig. The barista gives it to me for free. I tip. Why does this keep happening to me? $1

8:30 PM - I arrive at Valley Bar but there isn’t really any parking, so I have to pay for a meter. $2.25

10:00 PM - I pretty much opt out of drinking for most of the night. A Cartel friend buys me a glass of wine, but I try not to drink too much when my brain gets this anxious because it doesn’t seem to ever help.

11:30 PM - I start my set and it’s a lot of fun! Anxiety instantly melts away and the dance floor slowly fills. It’s super slow tonight so people kind of come and go, but I try not to get discouraged.

2:15 AM - I am all packed up and ready to go. The GM drops a $125 check in my record bin on my way out.

3:00 AM - Bed.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED NINETY-THREE: $22.02

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED NINETY-FOUR

7:45 AM - I wake up for the second time to yell at the dog for barking outside. I don’t have the patience to deal with her, so I crate her so I can sleep.

10:30 AM - Boyfriend wakes me up. Woah! I can’t remember the last time I slept this late.

11:00 AM - We go to Cartel for coffee and ASU Grad Friend is working, so it’s free again. I tip. $2

11:30 AM - We go to Gallo Blanco to make up for yesterday. I get the veggie pozole and boyfriend gets huevos rancheros. He pays.

12:30 PM - We’re both feeling pretty good, so we go to Zia in central Phoenix. I buy a Man is the Bastard record. $16.28

1:00 PM - We head home and relax for a little bit. At some point I leave and go to OfficeMax to buy business cards to print for my ecommerce store. I sold my first pin yesterday and need to mail their package! I pay for this with my other bank account and don’t count it as a personal expense. I stop at Walgreens on the way home and pick up Gatorades for me and my boyfriend. $4.07

7:00 PM - We order Jimmy Johns for dinner. I pair it with a nice glass of red wine. $17.99

8:00 PM - We try watching Schitt’s Creek. It’s funny but pretty ridiculous.

9:00 PM - We curl up in bed and I finish reading the Harry Potter series. All was well.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED NINETY-FOUR TOTAL: $40.34

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