Guest post: A meaty education. Otherwise entitled "holy cow look at the size of that steak!"

Howdy y'all! Please welcome Bettina from Lovely Little One with a cautionary tale of eating in the country...

When I first moved to the country in 2007 there were a lot of things that surprised and amused me; the serious way they approached show competitions, very small kids on sheep at the annual rodeo, goat and camel racing.  But the thing that shocked me the most was the meat.  Everywhere. Huge.  Dripping. 

Now I’m not a vegetarian myself and am quite happy cooking and eating meat, but I was not prepared for steaks the size of plates.  And no I am not exaggerating. They actually had to put their eggs on another plate because they wouldn’t fit for all the meat.

Before moving to the country I had never been to a BBQ where only meat was served. Steak. Sausages.  Steakettes.  Ham steaks.  Bacon. Surely they want something green to go with it?! But no, there was not a skerrick of salad in sight. 

When I first moved out here my housemate (now husband – another story) took it upon himself to show me around and I quickly got an education on farming.  His family owned a pig farm but he also took me to see cattle (free range and feedlot), sheep and goats.

 I learnt a lot that first year.  I not only gained a better awareness of where my meat came from but also an appreciation of the farming and families behind the production.  I learnt which practices I agreed with and those that I don’t.  I learnt what meat to eat, and what to avoid.  I learnt to eat before going to events.

 I learnt to take a salad with me. 

Stuff I forgot about having a newborn

♥ um, how little they are.

♥ how much breastfeeding hurts at the start.

  

♥ and how hungry it makes you.

♥ how sad you feel when they have wind pain and there's not much you can do about it.

♥ how they smell.

♥ how tiny all their paraphernalia is.

♥ how often they poop!

♥ how surprisingly strong they are.

♥ how cute it is when they smile in their sleep.

♥ how much they sleep.

♥ how little they sleep.

♥ how broken your own sleep is.

♥ how much they like to be held. 

♥ how much you like to hold them.

♥ how adorable they are.

♥ how they bring out the big old softie side in people.

♥ how much the baby blues suck.

♥ how you melt when you see your husband hold them gently.

♥ how much you wish everyone could feel these feelings.

♥ how amazed you are at how the hell they fit in your abdomen.

♥ how much you love them.

xx

PS thanks to Cotton On Kids for the outfit.

What do you remember?

Guest Post: Vegetarian Fitness 101

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Howdy y'all! please welcome cute British mother-daughter team Bibi and Janey from Veggie Runners giving us the heads up on being fit while also being veg.

Anyone remember that weird old stereotype of the sickly vegetarians who survive only on chips and chocolate? It was probably never true in the first place but it couldn’t be more wrong these days. British cyclist Lizzie Armistead, winner of a silver medal in the 87-mile road race at the London 2012 Olympics, has been vegetarian since she was 10 years old. Canadian marathon runner, Dylan Wykes, also competed at the games and joins a list of other notable meat-averse athletes, including Martina Navratilova, Carl Lewis and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, who have both adopted a raw vegan diet.

The rest of us don’t work quite so hard when we exercise, of course. We do need to consider our nutritional needs though, whether we go to the gym a few times a week, take a regular exercise class or have rashly entered a charity marathon.

When you start exercising regularly, you need to adjust your diet to replace what your body’s using up. It’s not enough simply to eat more, you need to eat the right things - and eat them at the right time. It’s not rocket science (though some nutrition regimes for exercise make it look that way!) If we see eating as a process of fuelling and replenishing, we can make sure we take in the right foods before we run and replace what it’s taken out of us after.

It’s easy to stay healthy on a vegetarian diet - indeed, there’s nothing better! - and coupling eating the right things with some form of exercise does wonders for your wellbeing. There are several things that need particular attention.

Protein

You need protein for healing the micro-tears in your muscles after exercising. Amino acids are the building blocks of our bodies, 9 of which are essential to life. It isn’t difficult to get enough protein or the essential amino acids on a varied vegetarian diet. Good sources include nuts and nut butters, avocados, figs, dates, beans and legumes (lentils etc), whole grains (including brown rice and quinoa), soy products (tofu, tempeh etc, as well as soy burgers and soya milk), yogurt, milk and eggs. 

For a protein-packed supper, look no further than our Spicy Thai Bean Burgers.

Carbohydrates

Carbs have received a lot of bad press in the past but they’re important when you exercise because they convert quickly to usable fuel. For this reason, it’s crucial to have them in your diet if you exercise. Don’t worry about putting on weight; as long as you burn off what you put in, you’ll be fine. Stored carbs keep you fuelled through your workout and also help prevent fatigue. Good sources include whole grains, rice, pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables, dried fruits and cereals.

Cook yourself up a dish of pasta and serve it with this delicious Non-Dairy Pesto (aka The Besto!) This is delicious in sandwiches and on toast too! Note: it’s made with Engevita nutritional yeast but if you can’t get, you can substitute Parmesan instead. (Though it obviously loses its non-dairy credentials in that case.)

B Vitamins

It turns out that B vitamins are incredibly, vitally important for our athletic performance.

A 2006 study showed that even a slight deficiency in vitamin B6 ‘decreased ability to perform exercise at high intensities’. Pretty much, exercising without adequate B vitamins is the equivalent of slipping some rocks in your pocket as you lace up your trainers. People sometimes think that B vitamins are really tricky to get on a vegetarian diet, but they’re not if you know where to look. The best sources of B vitamins for vegetarians are whole grains and legumes. Vegans need a bit more help - B12 is the one vitamin that isn’t in plant foods. The Vegan Society recommends eating foods fortified with B12 (some plant milks, tofu and breakfast cereals) and/or taking supplements.

Our Ras Al Hanout Tofu Steaks served with a hearty green salad will provide some of those performance-boosting B vitamins.

Iron
If you’re training hard (e.g. if you really did rashly enter a charity marathon!), you run the risk of iron deficiency. This can lead to fatigue and lethargy, the last things you need when you’re trying to stay fit and healthy. There are plenty of good sources of iron for vegetarians, including soya, tofu, lentils, beans, flax seeds, spinach, quinoa and pumpkin seeds. Eating these in combination with foods that are rich in Vitamin C helps you to absorb the iron better too.

This great Cannellini Bean, Roasted Carrot and Halloumi Salad will help keep your iron levels up.

Other things to consider

Have a healthy snack at least an hour and a half before exercise if you can. You won’t be burning it off during exercise (the energy you’re using comes from stored glycogen) but it will help to keep your blood sugar levels up and prevent low energy levels or dizziness.

Stay well hydrated. This isn’t just about drinking when you’re exercising, it’s something that you need to do on an ongoing basis. Our blog post, Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate, tells you why.

Finally, exercise boosts your sense of wellbeing like nothing else. We can’t all be elite athletes but we can feel like it

About Me

Since the day 25 years ago that my mum, Janey, delivered me herself on the bedroom floor (I was early, the midwife was late!), we’ve been having adventures. These days we run together, more or less anywhere.Our joint venture is Veggie Runners, which provides well-balanced recipes, running tips and some of our chatter. It’s our way of promoting health, exercise and wellbeing on a vegetarian diet. Or, as we like to put it, Running, Fuelled Right.

Kid food: Lunch

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I'm a "what's left over from dinner last night" kind of luncheon-eater. My kid won't eat leftovers. Actually, there's a lot she doesn't eat! I lovingly put it in front of her anyway, then watch her eat two tiny bananas instead. 

I'm sure it will happen one day. 

Tortilla with cream cheese, avocado and grated carrot, banana.

Won't eat tomato? Fine. I'll chop it real tiny and mix it in with your cottage cheese on Saos. MUHAHAHAHAA!

Banana and apricot bite. 

Peanut butter on a mini roll with rockmelon/cantaloupe.

Soba noodle salad with kiwi fruit. Didn't even want to play with the noodles like other normal children.

Avocado on bread, organic raisins, ladyfinger banana

Forever with the bananas.

Oy.

xx

Meatless Monday: Warm beet salad

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This is the result of the first time I ever grew beets. I was super-excited!

They came out so well, and I was so pleased. I really wasn't sure what to expect as for some reason they just seemed like they'd be difficult. Perhaps it was because of that one time I tried to grow carrots. And they never grew. Ever.

Anyway, this is one of the simplest and most delicious ways of eating fresh beetroot. I do miss the vinegary tang of canned beets when I eat fresh ones, so usually end up putting a vinaigrette on them.

This is done solely in one baking tray, which is another favourite way of mine to cook - less mess!

Ingredients:
fresh beets
fresh beet greens
olive oil
salt
balsamic vinegar
pinch sugar
pepper
wholegrain mustard

Directions:

1. lightly peel the beets, chop into even-sized pieces and place on an oiled baking tray. Roll them around so they're covered in oil, then sprinkle salt over.

2. Bake at about 200C for 20 minutes or so (depending on how small you made them) until tender.

3. Take out of the oven and pour over balsamic, a bit more olive oil, a pinch of sugar, pepper and a dollop of wholegrain mustard - all to your taste.

4. Add the greens and stir to let the residual heat wilt them.

5. Serve.

Easy as pie and probably more delicious too!

Linky Bitz

♥ The linky will be up every Monday morning, and will stay up until the following Sunday. It doesn't matter if you eat your meal on a day other than Monday - it's just an easy day to create the link.
♥ Grab the Meatless Monday button above and put it in your post, and even on your sidebar if you're feeling generous!
♥ Visit at least one other blogger and leave some love. This is so much more cool if we're in it together!

Guest Post - DIY make a cute gift bag from an envelope!

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Hullo! Please welcome today Jenny from A Simpler Life... a blog full of art and whimsy and pretty. This is the easiest DIY I've seen in a long time - and has made me very very sad I did not buy more washi tape on both my trips to Japan. I'm an idiot.

Hello everyone… my name is Jenny…

but first a BIG congratulations to Stacey and her family on the arrival of little Pepper… what a sweetie ♥

 

Today I would like to share with you

something I have been shown quite a few times now…

a little gift bag made from an envelope…

easy peasy…any size envelope… colors looks great too…

Take an envelope… a sturdier one works better I think…and seal it…



Score 3 sides at 2cm or fold over and press…

(2 long and 1 short side)

And the top… in this case one of the short ends at 3 cm…

Crease well…

Add strips of washi tape or use strips of patterned paper…. or book text…

in between score lines…

so…

above bottom score line…

just under where flap comes over and on top edge of fold over…

Use a decorative punch or decorative scissors to cut top edge…

And place your hand inside envelope pushing the edge of the envelope out so it is between your score lines… and so it becomes a bag…

Fold under bottom flaps and secure with a little double sided tape….

Punch holes in top fold over… and thread through some twine or ribbon…

And voila… a little envelope gift bag to fill with some goodies..

Thank you for having me…

Jenny ♥



The Veggie Mama Style File

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So recently I was asked if Cotton On Kids could send Pepper some baby clothes. She was four days old but hey, she's a stylish kid, so I said yes. Like she's a celebrity or something. Plus Cotton On Kids has the cutest stuff so I trusted them! And it got me thinking how grateful I was to have ditched the maternity daggies myself and could get back to my normal clothes again. Oh how free I feel! How un-whale-like. How me.

So I decided to do a post (which has actually appeared elsewhere, but that blog died a good bloggy death) on what makes my style my own. I'm wondering how Pepper's will evolve, just as I wonder if Abby will stop wearing shorts and t-shirts and start insisting on dresses. I will have to get someone to shop with her if she does, I am just no good in the frill department.

So anyway. My style:

These shoes are what I'm about. Sneakers. Whether Converse, Vans, Macbeths... any kind of funky sneaker is going to be on my feet. I wear them with dresses, pants or shorts and I'm not fussy. I will MAKE it work. It's sad that I live in such a hot climate, so wear flip-flops (god "thong" is a weird word) most of the time, but as soon as the weather cools, these things go back on my feet.

Me + summer = black Havaianas.

Cutoff denim shorts. It may be very Huck Finn, but I can be found in these pretty much all summer, spring and autumn. Winter changes these to tights or leggings (yes, I'm one of THOSE PEOPLE who wear tights as pants)... but for as long as I can get away with, I'm wearing them. I made these ones about six years ago with a pair of $30 Jay Jays jeans. They are now my favourite pair and I get sad when they're in the wash. That's when I hang off my closet doors and moan "but I've got nothing to weaaarrrrr!". When I was heavily pregnant and had to put them away for a while, I made a pair of maternity cutoffs. True story.

Funky bangles. They can make such a difference to an outfit. This one is my current favourite - I saw a  fellow Instagrammer post this in my feed and I commented underneath I needed to own it. Two weeks and $40 later, this pretty little thing turned up on my doorstep. It says "loose lips sink ships" and it is made of buffalo horn lovingly etched by the very talented Tenille at Eels Jewellery. At first I was all like "uh I can't wear buffalo horn!", but Tenille explained she used these products in her work because she preferred working with organic, sustainable, recycled and biodegradable materials rather than petro-based plastics and resins. The horn is recycled after the buffalo dies naturally.

Sold.

I have tried so many different hairstyles in my life. Short bobs were my go-to style during high school. Including one memorable disaster just after I'd started a new school, which rendered me an outcast on my second day. My hair is wavy and completely unmanageable and unbrushable in its natural state - it becomes a mass of dried frizz and is hideous to look at. I can't do bangs because of this and because my forehead is too small so I have to use more hair. I'll never have the silky-straight Asian hair I covet, so I just run with what I've got - long and messy. Believe it or not, it's much easier for me to style when it's like this. I usually wash, braid and sleep. Next morning I control the GROSSNESS with a run-over of the GHD and add a little curl. I've made my peace with the fact I'll never be a wash-and-go gal.

Crazy earrings. Big and dangly. Otherwise they get lost in my mop. These were $5 from K-Mart. My style is also Bargain.

Unusual rings. I have teapots, cupcakes, owls, vintage emeralds - anything I can find that catches my eye. Again, a $5 find from Diva.

Socks, stripes and Hello Kitty. All in one item. A gift from a friend who went to Japan.

Hair accessories. I love headbands, barrettes, bobbles on my elastics, everything. Though most days you'll just find this black bow from Diva.

 Roomy, yet semi-fitted tops. I like to hide the E-cups and I like to be comfortable. Anything too structured draws attention to my Lego-man shoulders and I cannot stand anything that hugs my armpits.

Vintage watches. Vintage anything, really - brooches, purses, handbags... I love them all. This was a gift from my beloved on our wedding day. It made me cry and ruined my makeup. 

Perhaps one day Pepper will wear it. Perhaps Abby will fight her for it. Perhaps I'll have to buy two, just to keep them happy... I'm willing to make that sacrifice for my children.

But until then, just look at little Peps in her cute little Cotton On Kids getup. Want to squish the cheeks, no?!

So what do you like to wear? What is your uniform? What is that one thing that encapsulates YOU?


*disclaimer: Cotton On Kids sent me three outfits for the littlest brat. That's all, folks.