So very sick of being sick

Here's the update on the vegan menu from a couple weeks ago. It didn't happen. lol I was sick when I wrote it, but thought it was my normal asthma trying to play games. I am just NOW getting myself caught up. It has been a couple weeks of breathing treatments and having to sleep sitting up because I was so congested.

Part of the reason I struggle so much with my asthma is that I am allergic to or have had serious reactions to just about every maintenance drug out there. Many of them use dairy as binders. So, all I have available to me right now is breathing treatments and rescue inhalers. I have so much albuterol in my system that I don't even get shaky from my treatments any more.

We had a yummy vegan dinner tonight. Quinoa brown rice burritos with sauteed peppers, green chilies and advocado. They were yummy and easy to make. I love my rice cooker. I plan on getting one with more bells and whistles when we can afford it, but that's more of a luxury. I can use it to cook grains, steam veggies, and I've even used it to steam Chinese dumplings. Here's the recipe for tonight's dinner. Um, I really have to remember to take pictures BEFORE the horde at my house gets to it.

Quinoa Brown Rice Burritos

1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 cup Inca Red Quinoa (You can use normal too. I like them both.)
4 cups water
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon powdered ancho chilies

Add all of the above to your rice cooker and cook just like you do for normal rice. While that is cooking...

3 sweet bell peppers - I used 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 orange - sliced thinly
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
Seasoned pepper (I almost always use Lowry's Seasoned Pepper in place of regular pepper) and salt to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Add seasoned pepper and cook for a minute. Add bell peppers and cook until soft and slightly browned. I normally do my mushrooms the same way and have them in this dish, but we eat a lot of mushrooms and ran out last night.

Slice up whatever veggies you want - lettuce, tomatoes, olives, advocado etc.

Once the quinoa and rice is done, warm your tortilla shells and sub the quinoa and rice for the meat. Add your veggies including the peppers and mushrooms (if your family hasn't already eaten them all like my family) and enjoy! This is a great meal that takes about 20 minutes from start to finish to cook. The quinoa is a complete protein so it's a great replacement for the meat. Enjoy!

Well, I'm going to take my meds, which I am slowly weaning myself from, and heading to bed. Night all!

Menu Planning for the week

I love menu planning and grocery shopping. I love knowing that the food I cook is going to be appreciated by my family, and used for their good health. Because of my health issues, the vegan lifestyle is the best for me. I do have honey, since it's local and helps my allergies. Other than that, I don't have any animal products, except occasionally eggs. Yes, I do this for a while, then start feeling great, and letting chicken and fish back into my diet. Next thing you know, I am eating burgers from fast food and feeling awful. So, I am going vegan again. The last straw was my son getting sick from fast food. He shudders when we pass by that restaurant now. We are always dairy free, but the rest creeps in. It is now time to get back to basics.

Here's the coming week's menu. Our lunches tend to be leftovers from dinner, so unless there's something different planned. All dinners have salad with them.

Thursday - Breakfast - toast and coffee (so not giving up coffee this time)
Dinner - Rice and Quinoa tacos

Friday - Breakfast - steel cut oats. I'm trying a new crock pot recipe.
Dinner - Jamaican Red Pea Soup

Saturday - Breakfast - fruit, toast
Dinner - leftovers from tacos or soup

Sunday - Breakfast - fruit, toast
Dinner - vegan chow fun, steamed dumpling

Monday - Breakfast - fruit, oatmeal
Dinner - Pancake dinner at school (I have our own recipe that I'll take for the non-dairy folks. I'm organizing the dinner.)

Tuesday - Breakfast - fruit, oatmeal or toast
Lunch - tuna pasta salad for the kids, salad for John and me
Dinner - Sweet potato burritos

Wednesday - Breakfast - fruit, toast
Dinner - Red Beans and Rice - yes, this can be vegan too.

Well, that's it for now. I'll post recipes as I go along. I'm still trying to decide the direction of this blog. It's not clear to me what I'm supposed to do, but am sure God will show me. Right now, I'm going to hang out with my husband for a bit then hit the bed. It's been a long week so far. Michael's been sick and I'm fighting it off too. Have a great night all!

It's John's birthday!

My handsome husband is celebrating his 38th birthday today. 4 years ago on this day, we had our first date, complete with both of our children. By the end of that date, our children were already calling each other brother and sister and were scheming about how to get us married. Not quite 4 months later, we were married. He swept me off my feet! I have been so blessed by having him as a husband and the family we've created. I am so thankful! I can honestly say I am madly, deeply, truly in love with him, more so than when we first married. We've been through much in our four years, including a major health issue with my liver, and his acid reflux. No matter what, we love God, each other, and our family. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!