Woman in Real Life

Well, it's November and the weather is completely unpredictable, A light dusting of snow the other day, rain today. All you can do is cozy up whenever possible with a bowl of steaming soup or a comforting warm meal.

Unless you've got the heat pumped up and you're making a smoothie, of course. I made this quick and simple Sunshine & Light Orange Kale Smoothie this week, Now and again I realize I could be eating more fruits and vegetables. That's where smoothies come in handy - you can pack in fruits and veggies and still feel like you're getting a bit of a treat. This smoothie is perfect for those rushed mornings or for a pre- or post-gym pick-me-up. It's on the sweet side, because that's how I like my smoothies. That makes it safe for those who aren't quite ready for a super-green smoothie yet! The recipe follows.



One evening I didn't feel much like cooking, but I had a big bag of Brussels sprouts and another big bag of broccoli (both from Costco), so I simply mixed them together with a few cut-up potatoes, doused the whole mix in olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted it for about half an hour. I also cut some extra-firm tofu into triangles and stirred in some bottled teriyaki sauce, along with garlic powder. That went in the oven too. Not fancy, but still a hot and enjoyable meal.


On the weekend, when the kids were living on a diet of which 90 per cent was Halloween candy, I made red lentil soup and tofu "pizzas" for lunch. I told them they had to eat the soup if they wanted to return to the Halloween candy again. So they did. Not happily.


The next day I had the soup again for lunch, along with leftover pizza with vegan Daiya cheese that my husband had made for dinner the night before. I also had a green iced tea. I try not to keep them in the house too much, because I drink them constantly when I do.


Another night's quick meal was penne with a stir-fry of broccoli (from the big bag again) and frozen mixed veggies. I used lots of minced garlic and Bragg's liquid aminos for the "sauce."


I baked up some of these donuts one day. They are gluten-free and vegan. The kids had them for an after-school snack. Although they noted that they aren't much like Tim Hortons donuts, they liked them anyway. The kids said the donuts remind them of this Staple Maple Cake that I sometimes make.

What's the weather looking like your way?