Jose is usually very thoughtful. he once made me a stainless steel vase with my name carved in it and a bicycle light underneath so we you turn it on, my name flashes in bright red (ooh, i must take a picture and blog it !). it’s one of the most thoughtful presents i have ever received. the fact that he actually “made” something for me means so so much. don’t get me wrong, i love the orange nano he got me for xmas (ooh, must get a pic of that too), but there’s a special place in my heart for originality.
i wondered what he was planning for valentine’s day since it is our first one together as a couple (and he actually took the day off from work). well… he showed up to my office after lunch with a vase full of red roses surrounded by yellow ones (see picture). the vase has little stickies on it that say “Jose loves Liz” in bright colors. you can’t really see that in the picture but it is the best part ! he said he has a “surprise” planned. hmm…
For valentine’s day, I decided to make vegan chocolate covered strawberries for my sweetheart. You can make these at home for your loved one, friends and/or family using fresh strawberries and the very best ingredients. Remember to modify the recipe depending on the number of strawberries you will use.
24 large strawberries
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1. Wash strawberries and dry thoroughly. It is very important that the strawberries are completely dry before dipping in the chocolate mixture.
2. In a small saucepan, heat soy milk and maple syrup over medium heat.
3. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Lower temperature.
4. Dip each strawberry into the chocolate mixture and transfer to a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat process.
6. Allow the chocolate to cool and then chill the strawberries for about 20 to 30 minutes. Enjoy !
These turned out really great ! Jose loved them. Yay !!!
This recipe was inspired by Webly. Ever since my vegan Frittata experiment, I have wanted to try making a vegan quiche. After reading Webly’s post, I had to try it. There are only a few differences in the recipes. I crumbled my tofu instead of shredding it because I have food-processor-phobia so I try to keep my processing to a minimum. Also, I was in a bit of a hurry. You should try this recipe sometime. It is awesome and SO easy ! Also, if you haven’t seen Webly’s blog, you should definitely check it out. She has really yummy recipes.
I made enough for 2 quiche pies. I froze one of them for a “rainy day.” You can do the same or just make half the recipe.
16 oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled
1 cup chopped frozen spinach
1 small tomato, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz vegan cheese, shredded
1 tbsp bragg liquid aminos
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground sage
salt (to taste)
fresh ground pepper (to taste)
2 9-in unbaked vegan pie crusts
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine tofu, spinach, tomato, onion, garlic and cheese.
3. Stir in braggs and spices.
4. Place half of the mixture in one of the unbaked pie crusts.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
This was really yummy ! Even Jose liked it ! Thanks again Webly !
i forgot to blog about the results of my bone density test. i called the doctor’s office for days hoping to hear “everything is ok. have a nice day.” instead, i heard the chilling “you need to come in to review your results.” ouch ! in a way i was glad. perhaps they’d finally figured out what is making my bones break all the time.
i looked at the letters clearly in black and white but i couldn’t believe it. osteopenia. that’s something i’m supposed to have when i am 50, not 27. all in all, i think i took it well. i drove to work after leaving the doctor’s office. i called Jose and gave him a one minute summary. then i called my mom. the first thing out of her mouth was “but of course you have weak bones. you never drink milk. you don’t get enough calcium. what are you going to do now.” for one thing, i’m NOT going to start drinking milk !
i scheduled an appointment with my regular doctor right away. i like my doctor because he believes in alternative medicine as well as conventional, but he is not fooled by the big pharmaceutical companies who try to poison us. he told me about fosamax and gave me a one year prescription. he then told me about alternative treatments and encouraged me to do more research and then make a decision. at this point, my situation is not severe and i can afford to play around with different treatments to see what’ll work best.
i did some research on fosamax. the side effects are scary. you have to take this pill first thing in the morning. you then have to sit upright for 30 minutes because if it gets trapped in your esophagus, it can cause permanent damage. having esophageal problems by default, i decided not to go with this option.
my doctor recommended a company called Life Extension. they have many supplements that are backed by scientific research. my ex used to purchase vitamins from LE so i emailed him for advice. he said the supplement my doctor had recommended was excellent and that it had helped strengthen the bones in his legs which had broken years ago during a terrible motorcycle accident. i’ve started to take it along with vitamin K, and other bone-building supplements. in a year, i will need to have another bone density test to see where i am. hopefully my discipline (and money – these supplements are NOT cheap) will pay off in the long run.
