V30X....instead of P90X

Day 2....everyone obeyed the rules. Sophia loves the tofu sour cream - she didn't flinch, even wanted to still lick the spoon. Victory. Matt enjoyed a dairy free shrimp burrito --not missing it a bit.

We're both finding that we're not hungry in the afternoon like we usually are around 3pm. Is it possible that the veggies keep you fuller longer than all that meat???? Is it possible that the usual sugar intake causes us to have more need for intake sooner?

I've already decided that if my thighs disappear this 30 days I'll forever be a vegetarian. AND I'm going to start my own weight loss program ---V90X. Who wants to work out for one hour a day and bust their butt on P90X, when you can enjoy FABULOUS food, workout average, and still loose your butt?

The most difficult obstacle right now is getting the girls to eat the menu. Sophia does a good job, but Tori - who has always been picky - may be starving. Well, we won't let her starve, but she's not getting much variety. Maybe she'll learn to eat what's given her after V90X.

Lentil Soup on International Steroids

BAM! First dinner made under new management rules and I knocked it out of the park. Sweet Potato Lentil Stew---had the flavor of an Indian cuisine. The smell as I was cooking it told me it was a winner.

Everyone obeyed the rules EXCEPT there was communication glitch and company for dinner. Blaine brought thin mint cookies for dessert, which the girls saw. Matt gave them one while I was at bunco BUT he abstained!! Yeah for abstinence. So at least 2 out of 4 get the gold star for the day. I'll probably give the girls one too because it wasn't their fault contraband was brought into the house.

If the decision was based on taste, flavor and quality, after tonight's supper there's no going back!
Tomorrow.....Clean Mean burritos.

Day 1 of Eating Experiment

To kick of the month long experiment, I made cinnamon mochi puffs.(look it up-mochi) Well...more like flats instead of puffs. I didn't cook them long enough but they were still devoured. With a little vegan butter they were 'tas-TY.'

Lunch was tricky. Served the girls vegan hot dogs, cucumbers, orange, & pumpkin seeds. Although Sophie gobbled her hot dog up, she said she didn't like it -mixed message:) Enjoyed healthy graham crackers as dessert. And crossed off another successful meal.

For this week, we can't have any milk products...butter, milk, sour cream,etc. I'm anxious to see if Matt followed the rules for his lunch.

Feeling good. Don't know if it's my veggie wrap or just mentally think I'm healthier after 8 hours!!! Mind over matter!

Stay tuned to see how the Sweet potato lentil soup turns out tonight.

More Tofu Than We Can Chew

I hope we're not biting off more tofu than we can chew! The experiment doesn't start until March, but....

Today I introduced a smoothie with tofu and soy milk ( with a little yogurt needing to be used up.) Matt thought it was the best smoothie...sweeter than normal - probably because of the soy milk. We also made rice treats with Brown Rice Syrup, Vegan chocolate chips (the girls thought they were too sweet by themselves- but they were actually bitter), natural PB, & EnviroKids rice crisp cereal. They turned out really good. Drawback - a tad pricey. BUT cheaper than a trip to the dentist due to sugar!

I'm sensing the hardest thing will be replacing dairy. We consume a lot of cream cheese, sour cream, and butter. To replace it all is going to be expensive. I need to decide if I will replace or reduce our consumption. At some point -maybe for 1 week- I want to see if a non-dairy diet affects Matt's allergies and Tori's skin condition.

Obstacles to Overcome for the March Menu:
** What to do with our cream cheese/sour cream addiction.
**How to help Matt find items to eat at restaurants for lunch.

**What to fix for lunches.
** Final "rules" for the Arden Experiment

The Arden Experiment

I think the only visitor to Ardenland is my good friend Shelly. So, for her entertainment and reading pleasure, I'm rekindling the writing fire. The absence of posts is mainly due to my notions that no one cares, what I have to say isn't important, and I have other things to do with my time. But then I think... I could make money off this!!! Julie (of Julie and Julia) did. Mostly it's because I don't have anything to write about. But right now I do.

Recently I invested in books about healthy eating...mostly a plant-based diet. They are revolutionizing my lifestyle in the way of eating. I've read so much that the other night I dreamed about a plate full of beans and other non-meat proteins. In my slumber I kept thinking "am I going to be full enough?" & " I need some water."

Still trying to graft in these new ideas to our current eating habits (which already resemble a plant based diet), I am preparing our family for a month long eating experiment in March. Details are still being worked out, but some include no dairy, no meat, lots of greens, new recipes.

Rebooting this blog is going to be a way for me to document the effects of the experiment.
Will Tori's skin clear up?
Will Matt be able to breath better?
Will I loose weight?
Will Sophia be able to survive on non-dairy sour cream and cream cheese (hardest one of all)?

I figure ....it won't kill us. At least March will have a bit of excitement in it.

So...Shelly....thanks in advance for reading.

MMMM Good...

I can't write about Sophia and leave Tori out!!! Today Tori ate cereal for the first time. It's the beginning of her leaving the house, but it's gotta start somewhere.

For those of you looking for exciting blog reads, this post will set you over the edge!
Good night from Ardenland.

Casper the Crying Ghost

Today Sophia (or phophie as she says) graduated to the big girl's bed. We've had the bed for a month now, just letting her get used to it. She took a nap - though shorter than usual - and called out for 'mom' when she was done. So at bedtime tonight we tried it again. She was a bit reluctant to stay: I stayed with her a bit, prayed, yada yada yada....... then Tori started crying in her bed. While consoling Tori, Sophia started screaming and crying. As I rushed to her room and Matt flew up the stairs, I found myself staring down Casper the Crying Ghost!! :) Somehow she had wrapped herself in the sheet and fell off the end of the bed. I couldn't help but pause before rescuing her so Matt could see the ghost staring at us. ....................We removed the sheet and tried again. Now, 40 minutes later, she's still there - not asleep, but not crying either!!