the2beths

Grr. For the first time since I’ve been blogging, I lost a whole entry. It was this entry.

I had to be mad for 2 hours (and do school work) before I attempted it again.

Ok, let’s see what I remember. I know I started it off talking about last night’s dinner. The vegetarian stuffed peppers. They turned out very well. They were spicy, flavorful, and filling. They tasted great with the mashed potatoes I served them with, and there was plenty leftover.
I was able to have one for lunch today, and my husband will be able to have one tomorrow night when I am working at my part time job.

Tonight I made this Fried Rice that I make often, with every vegetable I have in the house in a pan with fresh garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce and a bit of brown sugar. Then, I add brown rice. BUT, today, I added tiny cubes of extra firm tofu.
This is my 4th attempt at cooking tofu, and my most successful.
Since I am getting used to the texture, I think the tiny cubes helped a LOT. I wish I would’ve done that to start with. I think it helps the adjustment period with tofu.

Anyway, it felt good to eat so many veggies and fruits today, and I had way more energy. I also stayed in my WW points plus, which is the first time since I went to Vegas.
I’ve been a total wreck loose since then, and I am already feeling better with a day of success behind me.
Now, I just have to get back to the gym.
Cross your fingers I make it tomorrow night after tutoring.

Well, I will leave you with a picture of tonight’s dinner. Yummmmy.

So, part of the reason I have up meat and chocolate for Lent is to help steer my diet so that I was incorporating more fruits and vegetables. This was a huge fail when on Friday, I went out to dinner with my parents and got fried shrimp. (I did get broccoli as my side item…I had that going for me.)

Anyway, I was following the letter of my law, not the spirit of my law.

And then Saturday wasn’t much better. My husband’s parents came over for dinner at their favorite greasy hamburger place across the street from our house. I opted for grilled cheese and fries. I hardly ate any of the fries -and in my defense, the only salads they have are with iceberg lettuce, or tuna and mayo.

So, today, I am determined to change the course of my Lent.
My husband and I started the day with a 45 minute drive to the closest Trader Joes. It is a very small Trader Joes, and I found a few items that I had seen on blogs and wanted to try – namely honey sesame coated almonds – but wasn’t convinced that it was worth the 45 minute drive. There is a Whole Foods that is 50 minutes away that I absolutely love, so next time, I will probably go there.

And now, I am at home, about to embark on about 4-6 hours of school work, but first I got our dinner in the crock pot. I am making a recipe I found for Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers. (Red Peppers were $1 at the grocery store!!! SCORE!!)

Here is the recipe I am using for Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers.

I changed the recipe a bit just because I didn’t have the exact ingredients. I used a combination of sharp and regular cheddar cheese. I used brown rice instead of wild rice. (This is the change I think I am going to regret.) And I poured some red enchilada sauce over the top of them after I got them in the crockpot.

Here are the “before” shots! I will let you know how the “after” shots turn out, as well as if my husband liked them. The last recipe experiment I made he did not care for (and neither did I!). In fact, after we ate dinner he said, “I am going to need a gallon and a half of water to get this taste out of my mouth.”
Yikes.
And this is from a man who has only once before told me he didn’t like what I made, and when he did it was very tactfully done.
So, that gives you an idea of how gross this recipe was.
I can’t even talk about it.
It’s the Voldemort of recipes.
It shall not be named.

Anyway – here are the before pictures.

Is Nutella considered chocolate?

I mean, if Billy Joel said it, it is definitely true.
No, no, I didn’t cheat on my Lenten sacrifice…yet. Actually, I was feeling pretty good about it last night and into this morning. I was feeling over confident, proud of myself for having this planned out, and for blogging about it.
Then, I get to church and the whole homily is about not telling people what your Lenten sacrifice is, as you are supposed to pray to yourself, and not make a big to-do about it.
SHOOT.
I messed that one up.

As the priest continued to explain this, I was slinking down further and further into my pew, feeling like a major heel.

But, luckily, Jesus is cool and forgiving, so I think he understands. And I am sure he loves my blog. I think he is one of our daily readers.
Him and my mom.

I hope everybody is having a great Wednesday.
I am really looking forward to the weekend already.

We have had no snow days this whole school year, and let me tell you, it blows.

xo,
beth wa

So, the Beths are Catholic. We both went to Catholic School growing up – that’s actually where we met. I still teach at the school where we met. We both are still practicing Catholics as adults. We have the guilt to prove it.

Anyway, the reason I am bringing this up is that tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent. Lent is a period of renewal for Catholics. We are encouraged to make small sacrifices to remind us of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. We are encouraged to also do good deeds as well. It’s a time to try to de-crowd your life, and become centered.
I usually try to pick a sacrifice that is something that will be good for me as well. For instance, this year I am giving up chocolate during Lent. It is time. Not a day goes by where chocolate isn’t in my diet. It’s getting out of hand.
I am also giving up meat. Blerg.
I have been trying to cut down on my meat intake a lot, but this will be absolutely no meat at all for 40 days. I am using this experience to try so many of the vegetarian and vegan recipes I read about that sound delicious.
I don’t think I could ever be all the way vegetarian, or vegan, but I know I can become mostly plant based. That’s the goal for me anyway.

So, as I get started, I can’t wait to try some of the recipes from Meatless Mondays over at Budget Cooking Blog. They always look so delicious!!

Have a great evening.
xoxo
Beth WA

Man, oh, man…where does the time go?
So many things I want to write about, but so little time to collect my thoughts into a post that is worth writing.

Some things I’ve been wanting to blog about, but haven’t gathered a whole post…
…Seal and Heidi Klum. I called it from the days of bragging about all the sex all of the time. What married couple that you know brags about all of the sex all of the time? None that I know. And I know lots of people who have been married for a LONG time.

…Jennifer Garner’s pregnancy. Why does it seem to be lasting for 10 years?

…Drew Peterson: Untouchable : The Lifetime Movie I couldn’t wait to watch. I love Rob Lowe, and I love Lifetime Movies about real people. It was everything I wanted it to be, full of soundbytes! “I think I just may have found…wife number 5.”

…raw oats in yogurt with fruit. I have seen many bloggers do this, and it looked gross to me. I tried it today, and I ain’t afraid to admit I was so wrong. It’s delicious.

…kale chips. I can’t stop eating them. Love them.

…garlic gold. rocks my world.

That is all.
Miss you all. xoxox.