Day 18 of 21

Motoring Right Along Here Folks 

These flavorful meals are a hit for sure. Friday night was our annual Opening Olympic Ceremony party at The Dude's place. We request that you bring a host country dish as an offering. Always a big hit and this has been a tradition of ours going back to the 1988 Olympics in Soul Korea. That was in honor our high school teammates Lars Jorgensen ( 1500m Free ) and Kirk Stackle ( 200m Breaststroke ) whom represented the 88' Olympic Squad. I believe they both were in the top 20 of their heats but I could be wrong with those placements. Where Is My Mind 

A another very memorable and impactful moment was witnessing the Olympic Torch runner during the Smell A Games in 1984 run down our street. We have an actual printed photo somewhere from that event. I also have a photo with the torch runner from the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Anyway , The Dude & I will always be avid Olympic watchers. Bring On The Games 

Regular weekend breakfast consists of steel cut rolled oats with nuts , dried fruits , and fresh fruits. Just depends on what I have on hand. Chia seeds , cashews , almonds , and raisins are usually a topper of sorts. Yogurt and homemade granola are the quick goto when I am running late. Or Flipping Lazy 

Lunch is usually a smoothies and/or leftovers from the previous evenings feast. I say feast because I have been consuming a ton of it. Preparations for the Olympic Party , I whipped up a plant based noodle dish that absolutely rocked!! Crushed tomatoes , green onions , red/yellow bells , garlic , green olives , and leeks and I conveniently labeled this dish as a Coastal Mediterranean Rivera Pasta Dish. Classic 

Last night's Lentil Dish was unbelievable. The fresh herbs and spices are the secret ingredients for these dishes. My curry dishes in the past have always been just ok but now that I am all in on flavors these days, Oh Doctor!! Turmeric, ginger, garam masala, and cayenne are main staples for sure. Who doesn't love coconut milk?? This particular dish hit 13 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fats, and a powerful 16 grams of fiber. I am basically averaging 105 grams of protein and 46 grams of fiber per day. On top of that , popping a B12 pill about every other day and drinking an EmergenC almost once a day. When I Remember 

Stay Groovy,

Cheers 

 

Day 15 of 21

Unbelievable!!! Last Night Absolutely Rocked The Casbah!!! 

The Amphitheater At Las Colonias perched near the (not so) Mighty Colorado River hosted Tedeschi Trucks Band. If you are unfamiliar, I was too. Obviously I have followed along but this current tour is flipping top shelf!!! 

This production crew of theirs was motoring along like a fine well oiled machine. The hanging tapestry was a highlight for yours truly. The revolving light show was spectacular and I was completely sober. 

There are 12 talented members to the band and Susan and the boys orchestrated pure brilliance. She would belt out two or three tunes and then a back up singer would crush a tune or two in a way of saving her voice. These back up entertainers sang harmony , played the flute , sax , trumpet , slide trombone , symbols , and sang lead all throughout their performance. The two drummers clearly appreciate each others skill set. This group NEVER took a set break and played nonstop for 2 1/2 hours. Yes , they walked off for an encore of course but they committed to a tradition of excellence for a weekday concert. Floored 

As I stated above , I am well aware of Susan's awards , grammy nods , and marriage to Derek and all that jazz. But I had ZERO Clue about this tour or how visually stimulating the evening would play itself out for all of us. Very little expectations but rode away smiling from ear to ear. 

Breakfast - Soy based yogurt that was actually very tasty and no chalky texture. Homemade granola , coconut flakes , pumpkin seeds , Sunflower seeds , almonds , and cashews.  

Lunch - Spinach smoothie and the black bean burger from the pervious evening.

Dinner - ROCKED IT THE PHUC OUT!!! Followed this recipe for a Chickpea Tacos. A can of chickpeas rinsed ,socked ,and mashed with a fork. Zuke , onion ,chili powder , cumin , paprika , fresh garlic cloves , oregano , pepper flakes , freshly squeezed LEMON juice , molasses syrup , and an organic mango. Clearly I made up burritos instead of tacos and their nutritional facts read; 4.5 grams of fat , 0.4g of saturated fats , 0 cholesterol , 12g of protein , 9g sugar , 11g fiber , 503mg of sodium , 3.1mg of iron , 15mg go Vitamin C , and 1.5mg of Vitamin E. Talk about totally stoked and those flavors were outrageous. 

Stay Groovy,

Cheers 

 

Day #11 of 21

My gosh , what a day it was. I know that it is me and I'll be obliged to come to terms that humans are simply flakes. They Are What They Are 

Breakfast - Steel Cut Oats w/Raspberries, Cashews, Almonds, & Chia Seeds

Lunch - Everything from the pervious slow cooker wrapped in a tortilla with plant based cheddar cheese 

Snack - Frozen fruits , 2 packed cups of fresh spinach , 2 brown bananas , red grapes , and a whole mango in the trusty Ol Mr Blender with cold filtered H2o and ice cubes  

Dinner - A medley of fresh veggies , sweet potatoes , red and yellow onions , parsley , cilantro, ginger , garlic , and curry powder served over brown rice and crushed walnuts 

Totals - 124 grams of protein , 51 grams of fiber , 11 grams of sugar , zero saturated fats , 12 grams of fat , and 7 grams of sodium - One B12 pill & One Package of Emergen C  

Stay Rowdy,

Cheers 

Day 9 of 21

Who knew formulating your own oat milk could be so simple?? 

 And who knew homemade burritos would be so savory??

And who knew utilizing chickpea flour assembles such a delicious pizza crust?? Like WoW !! Simply mixed chickpea flour , the oat milk , tahini , apple cider vinegar , baking powder , sea salt , and black pepper. Yup, that's it. 

And the fresh veggie toppings?? Oh Baby !! Jump Back And Kiss Myself!! After all the toppings found their place , the question was raised ," Did you really put corn on this pizza?" Holy Smokes Yes !! Sweet Olathe Corn is the cats meow. The fresh backyard basil brought out the sweet tasty corn just like a spicy red marinara sauce marries those pepperoni slices. What tripped me out was each slice holds 9 grams of protein , 6 grams of fiber , and absolutely NO saturated fats or GMO's or Preservatives. One Clean Pie

Stay Beautiful ,

Cheers 

Day 7 of 21 on my 53rd with 66 days until Autumn

My morning commute and the morning began with training a new guy while babysitting a couple of others. So that's always fun. Popped on over to those loose ended chores and watered ALL plants as I am currently house sitting two homes but no pets. 

Jumped on the Mighty Colorado River for a spontaneous afternoon float 

R Roo Roo rang the fine folks at Ramblebine Brewery to ask a few questions. Such as , will you be televising the All Star Game , how do you feel about outside food , and do we need a reservation for a birthday party. 

They welcomed all of it and happily broadcasted the MLB All Star Game for us. What blew my mind , all the support by friends and family. Everyone stepped up their game and brought a full on vegan dish to share. Not just a vegetarian meal but a true authentic vegan dish. Stoked 

A rice noodle dish with chopped veggies , garden fresh basil, and a beautiful hint of freshly squeezed lemon. Homemade veggie calzones made from wheat and they were only about the size of your palm. Like Way Cool !! Homemade salsa but I am not currently munching on chips these days so I assume that it was terrific as all get out. My offering just happened to present these fine folks with Soybean curls that appear to be chicken or pork at first glance. I added grated zukes , diced bells , peeled garlic, and chopped at length green onions. My first time whipping up a homemade teriyaki sauce as I have ALWAYS purchased a store bought bottle and have never attempted to prepare it from scratch. This was served over brown rice that I added crushed almonds and cilantro after the rice was cooked to perfection. Divine 

And Roo Roo created this incredibly delicious angle food cake with chocolate pudding. She remembered me sharing this recipe many moons ago during bike night. Couldn't believe that she remembered and was an extremely thoughtful gesture. Basically , after you bake the cake , cut it in half , remove the top , dig out a trough in the bottom layer there, fill with pudding , put the top back on , and smoother with sweet chocolate pudding. Oh Baby 

The whole day was magical and the evening with friends was legendary. From sun up to sun down , top shelf. Hearing from friends all day was rather meaningful. I am not sure why it is but this years birthday was very touching. Laid my head to rest on the cool side of the pillow with a heart wisely full of gratitude. I leave you with our 4th of July float and the soundtrack is provided by our band Big Swig Colorado. We played a gig in a pool hall and this is an original tune that Nate and I wrote titled ' The Time I Got Drunk ' Thanx For Watching 

Sending Positive Vibes Your Way ,

Cheers 

Day 5 Of 21

Steel Cut Oats with an assortment of organic fruits. A light dose of Sunflower seeds , almonds , cashews , and chia seeds. The remaining fruits and farm fresh spinach went directly into Mr Blender. Added ice and almond flavored oat milk. Refreshing as I drove to band practice this morning. Dynamite 

Lunch was a delicious garbanzo bean and shredded vegetables burrito. Topped that beauty with homemade salsa , red cabbage , avocado , and expensive plant base mozzarella cheese. Which coincidentally used up the last of my handmade tortillas. Most Excellent

Dinner ripped with black bean patties , fresh pickles , air fried sweet potato fries. Treated myself to a lovely hippy popcorn bowl as a way of capping off the evening. All in all , another 100+ grams of protein and 41 grams of fiber. One oversight on my par, this schedule meal planner suggested that I supplement B12. Apparently , B12 is normally produced by a bacteria growing in manure and is consumed by those happy cows as they graze. Yes, that's an elementary answer but you get the gist.

So I popped one of these liquid bottles of B12 with all the fine micro writing. Those marketing yahoos geared it into my hands with B12 , easily absorbed , Vegan , essential minerals , and NO added GMO's or Artificial flavor. What I overlooked was the Mother Phuc-R was doused with caffeine. Wired me until almost 4am last night. Sucked 

Be Brave & Be Bold ,

Cheers 

Day #4 of 21

 

Navigating this whole plant thang rather well. Yesterday was a YouTube tutorial showcasing the "best" homemade tortillas you'll ever make. The first video was just OK but this ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlmlRJh8yHw ) was the one I followed. My elapsed time was 45 min compared to the 10 min that guy rolled them out in. 

I filled those beautifully fresh tortillas with a whippin' chickpea and cauliflower mix of goodness. Both black and refried beans , red cabbage , avocado, plant based cheddar cheese , and jasmine rice with a hint of lime and fresh cilantro. Talk About Stellar 

So far , no shaky hands , no midnight snack cravings , consuming three meals + a smoothie everyday , and I am really digging these spices and herb combos. Whats blown me away has been the tracking of FIBER and Plant Proteins. This Chickpea taco rocked a "serving" of 16 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. 40 grams is my daily target of fiber and its fairly simple to achieve so far. Without overly trying and adding up the numbers from yesterday; 47 grams of fiber , 95 grams of protein , zero bad cholesterol , 11 grams of fat but NOT saturated fats , 9 grams of sugar , and ONLY 3 mg of Sodium. Boom Shakalaka Boom 

Feeling Good , No Worries 

Cheers 

Day #2 of 21

Quick Update And Discovering A Rhythm

Recently wrapped up a course covering vegan cuisine and challenging myself with a prepared 21 day endeavor. I know, me??? Mr BBQ Hobbyist. Today marks day two and nothing to really report on the noticing front. Happy Slurpy Day 

More on the way tomorrow,

Cheers