GRAPES, BEAUTIFUL GRAPES! Maybe it’s just this batch I bought today. I. DON’T. KNOW. But, MAN, I’m addicted now. And, THANK GRAPES, these grapes totally got me through this evening without noshing like I usually do AS SOON AS the kids are FINALLY in bed (and what a time I had tonight trying get them to bed — INSANITY).

Anyway, there’s a little twist to this treat….

As soon as I brought these delicious, bulbous, juicy orbs of SWEETNESS home from the grocery store, I washed them, placed a bunch of them in two ziploc bags and threw ‘em in the FREEZER. About 9 hours later, here I am. Mmmmmmmm. Just popped one in my mouth, and it was DEELISH.

Best part of all? No guilt.

FROZEN GRAPES, Gorgeouses. Try it. You will love it. And, your body will thank you.

As I get closer and closer to vegan status, I’m finding myself buying all sorts of great vegetarian/vegan cookbooks (COUGHsupportmybookbuyinghabit HERE!COUGH…). My latest find is Edith Rothschild’s Nutrilicious.

This book is ADORABLE. It’s written by Jewish GREAT-GRANDMOTHER. And, even though it calls itself “Kosher,” it’s great for everyone. I mean, I’m not even Kosher, and I LOVE it. It’s seriously PACKED with great information and health tips — and some THUPER sweet poems! And, for you non-vegans out there who would like to incorporate more vegetarian meals into their week (please do!), the book does include a few (free-range!) egg and fish recipes.

The recipes I’ve tried so far have been delish — not only for me, but for my non-veg hubby and kids. Here are two of them that we’ve totally enjoyed.

SUMMER SALAD SUPREME (p. 78)

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2):

2 cups shredded packed romaine lettuce
1 large orange or 2 tangerines, peeled and chopped (1/2-inch pieces)
1 small grapefruit, peeled and chopped (1/2-inch pieces)
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp NUTTY-EDITH CRUNCH (this is another great recipe on p. 181 of the book, but I just ground raw almonds and walnuts together in a coffee grinder, and it was WICKED ‘LICIOUS! A kind of paste formed that mixed GORGEOUSLY with the oil and lemon juice….. If you don’t want to do it my way, the author suggests that you use sunflower seeds if you don’t feel like making the NUTTY-EDITH CRUNCH)
1 - 2 tsp flaxseed oil
A small handful of organic golden raisins or dried organic cranberries.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all the ingredients in medium bowl, toss well, and ENJOY!

BENEFITS (qtd. directly from book):

What’s supreme about this salad? It’s as refreshing as a cool breeze on a hot summer day. I eat it all year ’round, whenever I need a light lunch and some vitamin C. Whenever we combine fruit with salad greens, we slow down the absorption of sugars from the fruit into our bodies. This enables us to keep our energy level up longer and prevents us from getting hungry again too soon.

JOKE (qtd. directly from book): “If life hands you a lemon, squeeze it into your salads.”

QUICK APPLE TREAT (p. 224)

INGREDIENTS (Serves 1):

1 medium sweet apple (I might even add some cheaty little blueberries or raisins to this!)
2 tbsp sugar-free jam or organic apple butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Peel the apple, cut it into 8 or more wedges, and discard core.
2. Place the jam or apple butter in a medium-sized skillet and heat at Medium-High, until bubbly.
3. Stir in the apple slices, turn heat down to LOW, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, turning the apples over once.
4. ENJOY!

BENEFITS (qtd. directly from book):

This takes much less time than making applesauce, baked apples or apple pie and quickly fills a sweet tooth.

Avoid Six White Foods!!!!!
White sugar, White Flour, White Rice, White Chocolate, Salt and Milk.

Cheaty HIGHLY recommends this cookbook if not only because it’s singlehandedly brought me back to WHOLE FOOD — in the real sense of the term. It’s made my kitchen a warm and exciting place to cook in again.

Guess what I have playing OVER AND OVER in my head?

Give up?

Well, I don’t blame you for not guessing it right because it’s not a song.

No. It’s a FREAKING SENTENCE. In a FREAKING FRENCH ACCENT:

“If you wish to see the chef, you will have to wait until all the other customer have gone.”

OVER AND OVER…and OVER my HEAD!

Of course, it’s from my monkey’s favourite movie, Ratatouille, WHICH we have watched almost every day since we got it. We got it some time in December.

“Anton Ego is just another customer. LEZ COOK!”

ARRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!

It won’t stop!

A-NY-WAY. I can still talk to you, even though I have Collette babbling away in my head….

So, this weekend? Some interesting things transpired.

I drank my first Starbucks Chai Tea Latte of 2008…. Yes I did. I had it with soy milk — mmmm….so creammmy and sweet! Why am I not freaking out at myself in my usual self-denigrating style? Because I’m happy about it.

Once a week, Gorgeouses. I’m allowing myself my favourite thing in the whole world once a week. Because this diet thing sucks. Yes, BECAUSE this diet thing sucks, I’m allowing myself one day a week to have my favourite things. And, that day would be Saturday.

So, this Saturday, I sipped my chai in a new way: savouring every single little sip! I enjoyed my favourite Italian grilled vegetable sandwich. And, I munched on my favourite Sunspire Sundrops (the all-natural edition of M&Ms). Mmmmm….

I also mixed all these treats with a healthy dose of speed walking (not the geeky kind), and a healthy, home-cooked dinner. Check it…CHILEH:

That looks a bit like vomit, doesn’t it…. Well, it tasted better than it looks. Josh-O and the monkey loved it. So there!

I also bought a pilates DVDV (as the monkey calls it…hee!). We’ll see how that goes.

And, in other news….

Today, at a 9:30am birthday party (thankyouverymuch), I resisted THIS:

And, instead had this:

How very, very boring of me.

Hmph…, cheaty little monkey….

“If you wish to see the chef, you will have to wait until all the other customer have gone.”