She's coming home tomorrow!

Hey all, just wanted to pop in and let you all know that Audriana Rose is coming home tomorrow!!! Here are some new pics:

Sleeping in Mommy's arms!

Sleeping in Daddy's arms (before her tubes came out).

I had to "Pink" her!

Brought her blankets home for Ginger to smell!

Loving my little girl! (before her tubes came out)

She is eating from me like a champ and falls right asleep while nursing! She smiles at us all the time! We are so happy and in love! Being a Mom is what I was meant to be!!! <3 Audriana Rose (pronounced like Audrey-ON-A..if that makes sense!).

Good Morning STARSHINE!

THE EARTH SAYS HELLO!!

Audriana Rose was born on Thanksgiving EVE, November 24th, 2010 at 9:04pm. 6lbs 7oz, 18 1/2 inches long. We had a traumatic experience (you can read my twitter page for more on that) and I will update more on that later. For now I am just loving my love bug. She will be able to come home with me hopefully on Wednesday. We are both getting stronger by the day!!! More soon! XOXO


P.S. I had posts lined up on my other blog you can check out! ;)
P.S.S. That's T in the pic, not a doc! ;)

Eats from under the Full Moon

Hello Loves! I hope you are all having a great week! Well, the full moon didn't bring the baby. But, her due date is Friday, so any second now!!!! 


One day for lunch this week I made a big kale salad with raw kraut, avocado, pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast, raw pickles and olives. Yum! I am so glad I am craving these again!

Speaking of the full moon! I took this picture on Sunday night after a nice walk with Ginger.

This was a delicious new smoothie I made, I call it Cranberry Sunrise, I posted the recipe on my other blog, HERE.

Last week I made a comforting vegetable soup. This had low sodium vegetable broth, soy-free miso, carrots, onion, garlic, celery, potato and gluten free pasta.

Have a wonderful cruelty free Thanksgiving all! I'll be back with a round-up of food ASAP! That is as long as little Starshine doesn't make her appearance that day! ;)

More Food Finds

Hey All, I hope you had a great weekend! Thanks for all the comments on my new blog. I have about 10 days worth of posts ready to go up over there, so if you don't see me here because I am busy with the baby, you can still get a little Lauren Love! ;) It's easier to post over there since I post my meals here and it's pretty much impossible to do so in advance. Feel free to leave me comments, spread the word, add me to your blog roll.. spread the love! <3 Anyway, I am typing this post on Sunday (JUST IN CASE...). 

I stocked up on some more goodies to have in the hospital and for after the baby comes. I made two trail mixes, one is goji berries, pumpkin seeds and black and white mulberries and the other is raisins and almonds.

I also found a new raw bar at Whole Foods, I've had a few different ones by this brand and they are all delicious, this was no exception.

As you may know, I LOVE my kraut! This brand (Real Pickles) is my favorite. It is raw so it has lots of good tummy bacteria. I was super excited when I saw the garlic variety! Soooo good! And will definitely keep the vampires away (unless of course you don't want to keep them away..any True Blood fans get my drift..LOL!). ;)

Again, another new Theo find! Gig and Fennel almond! Of course this is amazing, Theo is my favorite non-raw chocolate ever!

Earlier I mentioned Black and White Mulberries, well here they are! So yummy!!!!

If I am not in labor/hospital during Thanksgiving, my mother in law, bestie and brother in law(s) are coming over with food. My mother in law makes amazing vegan meals (I mentioned, she is a vegan) and last Thanksgiving was soooo good! Anyway, I want to make a raw pie, please send me your favorites!!! XO

Vegucating Robin

Hey All!


I just wanted to stop in and let you know about an awesome show that is going to premiere. Robin Quivers (Howard Stern's sidekick) has been vegan for 4 years, she even ran the New York City Marathon recently and trained on an all vegan diet. She really kicks ass! :) I am a fan of The Stern Show (believe me it's not as raunchy as you may think.. at least I tune out for that stuff). I love listening and hearing her talk about her green drink (which they tease her about, all in good fun). Anyway, she has a new reality show coming out and you can sign up here to find out when it premieres. You can see the trailer above. I am super excited! 


XO

P.S. Any other Stern fans? ;)

Full Moon Baby?

Hey Everyone! I hope you all have had a fantastic week. I found out that Sunday is a full blue moon, so I am not in a rush to get this little Starshine out anymore. I think it would be really great to have her come under a full moon and according to what I've read, that is very likely to happen! :)


Anyway, I have a little surprise for you all later in this post, so stay tuned!


One night this week, T and I ordered take-out. T loves Chinese food and I despise it! YUCK, I have never been a fan. So when he has the yearning we order from an Asian Fusion place. They have Japanese, Chinese, Thai.. etc. That way, everyone is satisfied. I usually go the Japanese route. This time I ordered fresh Summers rolls: mango, cilantro, baby greens, basil and jicama wrapped in rice paper.

I also ordered two rolls: Avocado and Mixed Vegetable (baby greens, avocado, asparagus, carrot). Both were super yummy and so fresh!

This week I also made a "Loaf" type of casserole. I mixed quinoa with mushrooms, carrots, celery, Bragg's, onion, garlic, mustard, Nutritional Yeast and olive oil then I topped it with gluten free bread crumbs and poured it in a baking dish and baked it until done.

T wasn't a big fan, but I thought it came out pretty good. I don't think he is a huge quinoa person (gasp!).

Before I go, that surprise I mentioned.. I started another blog. Something more serious related. You can check it out here. I felt like a place for my musings, quotes, whimsical stuff and nature pictures was something I wanted to share with the world! :) Let me know what you think! P.S. Ginger is The New Pink will still be a blog! I am not going anywhere!!! :)

Anticipation

Hey All, still preggers over here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm remaining calm, relaxed and TRYING to be patient. I have a doctors appointment today, so we will see how that goes. Every morning I wake up, turn to T and say "Am I really STILL pregnant?" to which T replies, "I have a feeling TODAY is the day!!" This has been going on for over a week now, lol! I still have over a week until my due date, so I shouldn't complain. I am just soooo excited to have my baby girl in my arms! Plus, my house couldn't be any cleaner right now. It's sterile! HA HA!


Anyway, on Monday I made a big pot of Pasta Fagioli. Mmm.. this soup is so good! My only complaint was I forgot to buy fresh basil so I had to use dried herbs and that "freshness" was missing.


Here is my recipe:

Pasta Fagioli 

I saute 5 cloves of garlic in a big pot in olive oil until fragrant. Then I add about a tablespoon of tomato paste, some dried Italian seasoning, sea salt and pepper and let it cook until it turns an orange color. Then I add whole tomatoes or jarred crushed (depending on the season). I let that cook down (if using whole) until it makes a sauce. I add a bay-leaf now. In a separate pot I boil enough water for however much pasta I am using (I use gluten-free). I let that cook and put to the side. I go back to my original pot and add 4 cups of white beans (or 2 cans, if using cans I only use Eden since they are BPA free and have lining inside). I stir them in and add some more Italian seasoning, pepper. Then I add a whole box of vegetable broth (I use low sodium). I let that boil then bring it to low and add in the pasta and any other seasonings it needs (taste to see). I also add a scoop of soy-free miso at this time and fresh Italian herbs (basil, oregano).

Over the weekend, T made Multi-grain Pancakes and Tempeh bacon for dinner. I am not a big breakfast person (I don't like to feel weighed down during the day so juice, smoothies or oatmeal are my normal choices). But I was having a craving for pancakes, so we had them for dinner! T made them because, As I mentioned, I don't eat many "breakfast type" of foods. This was a rare treat, but really delicious!

We checked out a new wellness boutique that opened in our town. I was so pleased to see they carried Gnosis Chocolate! I grabbed the Vanilla Hazelnut. So.amazing. This reminded me of Nutella a little, the hazelnut and chocolate together = the perfect combo!

I was also pleasantly surprised to see some other great items, like tea, jewelry, toiletries. I picked up some lotion that smells so freakin good!

All vegan and the ingredient list is impressive. No chemicals in this lotion!

Another plus, the girl that works there is a vegan!! It was nice to chat with another vegan since there aren't many in my hoity-toity town.

I know everyone was excited when I showed you all the seasonal Theo Bar I got at Whole Foods last week, well this week this had another seasonal vegan bar! Peppermint Stick! I am not a big fan of Candy Canes, but this taste more like chocolate with a slight mint flavor. There is tiny little pieces of candy cane throughout the chocolate. So rich and refreshing!

I also made gnocchi over the weekend. I bought them from Whole Foods and made my own sauce with soy-free Earth Balance, garlic and parsley. These hit the spot!

Have a great day everyone!

Food to Warm Your Soul

Hey All! I hope you had a great weekend! As of right now (I'm typing this on Sunday), I am still pregnant! Not much longer! My due date is one week from Friday! Eeek! I am hoping she comes sooner so we don't have to spend Thanksgiving in the hospital (although it would be for a WONDERFUL cause!!). But, I'd love to have her at Thanksgiving. A few of you have asked if I would update when I am in labor. I am going to try to Tweet and post on my Facebook page when I am able too. If we aren't Facebook friends, please add me! :) 

Anyway, Last week I made some delicious comforting meals. The weather has been getting a lot cooler here and that means soup season! But first, a warming breakfast I enjoyed: Oatmeal, fresh organic cranberries, raisins and almonds.

I made my favorite: Escarole and Beans. This is a standard Fall/Winter soup in our house. For the updates on my recipe, go here.

I also made some Split Pea soup. For this I just cooked onions, garlic, carrots and celery in olive oil until soft. Then I added the split peas along with low sodium vegetable broth and a piece of kombu. I let that simmer for about an hour or until the peas split up when stirred, then I seasoned and added soy-free miso.

I made Melody's Creamy White Bean Soup with Collards. This recipe was featured on Crazy Sexy Life this week. Mel's meals are always so delicious, simple and cheap! She breaks down the cost of most of her meals. I love that! Proof that veganism doesn't have to cost a ton of money.

I have pictures from the weekend that I will try to put up today and post on Wednesday. Until then, in-joy! :)

Stock me up!

Hello! Before I get started I wanted to share an interview I did with Allthingshealing.com: you can check it out here! :) 

Today I bring you a post with all the goodies I have stocked up on for my labor and after. I feel it's important to have lots of non-perishable food ready so I don't have to send T to the store everyday. Luckily though, T is an expert grocery shopper. He usually comes with me to Whole Foods (especially now that lifting bags isn't ideal while 9 months pregnant). So he knows his stuff! He also plans on becoming the cook in the house for a little while. Well, that is if I am unable to do so because of feeding the baby. I don't feel like I want to give over my title yet. So we will see (although, he use to cook all the time (pre-blog days) when I worked full time out of the house (since he would be home earlier then me). He is a good cook too! :)

Anyway, here it is. I still plan on buying a few more things, and I am stocking my fridge with fresh produce weekly. 

I bought 2 of my favorite flavor Kombucha (Trilogy). I would have bought more but the expiration dates aren't as far apart as they were in the past. Anyone know why? Well anyway, I've missed drinking this during pregnancy (I avoided it because of the low alcohol content and the detoxifying effects). I will be nursing, so I only plan on drinking a few ounces a day.

I picked up Nettle tea which is great for building blood supply (I am bringing a few tea bags with me to the hospital as well).

Pacific Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk. I won't have a lot of time to make fresh almond milk, so this will have to do.

I have both Vanilla and Chocolate Sunwarrior Protein Powder. I like to have the Vanilla with frozen fruit in smoothies and the chocolate blended with almond milk and maybe a frozen banana.

Two boxes of Lara Bar minis. These will be great for a little pick-me-up. I also plan on bringing a few of these to the hospital with me.

Organic Raisins, perfect for iron. I like to add these to my oats or just to snack on.

Almonds, again for snacking and oatmeal. Good quick protein. Another good snack for the hospital as well (I am going to make bags mixed with the raisins).

Organic Oats. I enjoy oatmeal on colder mornings. Great for fiber!

Yogi Nursing Support Tea. No explanation needed here! :)

And Coconut Water. These are all coming with me to the hospital to replenish my electrolytes after labor.

This weekend, I am picking up some Eden brand canned beans (they are BPA free), some bulk lentils, kale chips, low sodium vegetable broth, pasta and nut butters. Any other suggestions?? Have a great weekend!!!

Salads, Cider and Sushi, Oh my!

Hey All! I wanted to make a point to let you all know ahead of time that I will NOT be sharing my birth story. I am going to write it out in Starshine's baby book, but I don't feel like I want to post it on here. Although I do love reading and appreciate other people posting their story, I just felt like this is something I want to keep private and between me and my family. I know you all understand! :)

I had a few meals from the weekend I didn't post, so that's what I bring you today! :)


On Saturday, T and I went to our favorite Italian restaurant for lunch. I have been (finally) craving salads again, so I ordered this salad of romaine, grilled onions, artichoke hearts, red quinoa, tomatoes and roasted peppers. This was really filling and so delicious! I love when restaurants don't skimp on their salads.

For dinner I made Gena's recipe again. This is T's new favorite dish, he asks for it every week. This time I used white beans instead of kidney. This was so filling and delicious.

On Sunday we headed to the Farmer's Market. Only 2 weeks left! We bought some unpasteurized apple cider. This was really good, I just wish it was warm! Sunday was really chilly!!

After the Farmer's Market we headed to a salad place in town for some lunch. This is more of a "make your own" type of salad place. I got romaine, mushrooms, broccoli, lentils, shredded vegetables and olives.

For dinner we ordered sushi. I got a vegetable dragon roll, which was asparagus and cucumber inside rice and topped with avocado and 2 avocado rolls. Mmm, the avocado was super fresh and this hit the spot!

Enjoy your day everyone!

Meals to Please

Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! I am going to be typing up a few posts ahead of time, so in the chance that I go into labor and a new post goes up, don't be alarmed! :) Let's hope that happens soon!!! He he! Anyway, I have a lot of pictures from the weekend and last week. So I will have a better weekend post up soon. Before that though, last week at Whole Foods I found this seasonal gem: Theo Organic Nutcracker Toffee Bar! 100% vegan too!!! Yippy! I love when there is more variety instead of just plain dark chocolate for us vegans. This is so delicious! Theo is definitely my favorite chocolate.

I also bought some fresh organic cranberries. Like I mentioned, I am on cranberry kick! I love these little tart berries. My favorite way to have them is in a smoothie or mixed into my oatmeal.

I made this smoothie one morning: frozen mango, banana, Sunwarrior protein, almond milk and almond butter. One of my new favorite things to do is add nut butters to my smoothies. Extra protein and nutrients and super yum!

I made some green lentils with potatoes, kale, soy-free miso, onions, garlic and Field Roast vegan sausage. T is in love with Field Roast, he wants me to add it to everything!!! Better that then real meat! :) I am not a big fake meat fan, but this stuff doesn't have many ingredients and the ingredients are healthy for the most part.  

For those that have asked in the past, T is not vegan or vegetarian. But I do NOT cook him meat, if he wants it, he will make it himself. He doesn't eat red meat and usually only has meat when he is out of the house (lunch and if we go out to dinner). But occasionally he will make himself chicken or pork. He doesn't eat fatty meat like hotdogs and bacon.. thank God. Hopefully one day he will become full vegan! He has eaten vegetarian in the past for a period of time. But I don't like to push anything on him, he has been with me before I was vegan, I just educate him! :) And yes, I am feeding my little girl vegan! :)

Well that explains that question! Anyway, here are lentils cooking. I just cook the potatoes, garlic and onion until soft then boil the lentils as normal with low sodium vegetable broth. In the end I add the Field Roast and Kale along with seasonings and miso.

As I mentioned, I am loving cranberries in all forms! This time I added them along with some Cranberry Apple Butter to my oats!

And finally, brown rice with white beans and brussel sprouts. I usually cook my brown rice with kombu and then I add some soy-free miso at the end. For the sprouts, I saute them in olive oil, garlic and water and add Eden brand (BPA free) white beans in the end and let them get warm.

Have a great day all!