Eat Meatless, Even If It's Only Sometimes!

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This is a challenge to all you carnivores to eat meatless at least one day a week.

This is not just because I'm a herbivore.  As I am sure many of you know eating less meat is better for the environment!.  Raising livestock errodes excessive amounts of topsoil every year in addition to producing tons of excrement which can pollute the water and air.  There is also excessive amounts of natural resources that go in to raising livestock, like water.  And eating  veggies and beans is cheaper than eating meat!!

This book



The Vegetarian Family Cookbook

 Was the very first cookbook I bought when I became a vegetarian and it is a fabulous book to simple, yummy vegetarian eating.

Like the awesome waffle recipe with quick fresh fruit sauce

The Greek salad and Black Bean cous cous

Chickpea Burgers..yuuummm

These dishes are all awesome options for a meatless dinner once a week.  There are so many awesome things to eat to for your meatless meals and veggies are so easy to cook.  Keep an eye out here on Fresh Squeezed Home for yummy recipes!

Have you already reduced your meat intake?

 Do you plan on eating meatless one day a week? Any good veggie recipes to share?

Presents via Amazon

"Looks like somebody's got a case of the Mondays."  Name that movie! ugh Monday but there was one thing that made my the day uber exciting ...presents via Amazon.  I ordered some books on Amazon about a week ago and they finally arrived!!!!

First

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day

 I have been wanting to make my own bread FOREVER but never thought I would have enough time.  This book shows you healthy ways to make large batches of dough (no kneading required) that will keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks.   It requires little effort to make/bake multiple loaves of bread a week!   The first thing I plan on making is 100% whole wheat bread.  Others I can't wait to try Garlic Knots, Whole Grain Rye Bread, Pumpernickel Bread, Red Wine and Cheese Bread, Avocado-Guacamole Bread ...you get the picture I could go on and on with all the delcious, simple recipes in this book!

Second

Sewing Green.

 I first saw this book here at Maillardville Manor and knew I had to have it.  It is filled with great upcycled sewing projects.  It includes great ideas like a skirt made from a pillow case and slippers made from recycled sweaters! 
Some of my favorite projects

I want to make tons of cloth produce bags ( I have not wanted to spend the money to buy them and I hate using plastic, so I'll make them!)

This log draft buster is sooooo stinkin' cute! I.can't.stand.it

I have no aprons, none, crazy I know.  I love aprons and I have none. sigh. well I will just have to make some, like these made from men's dress shirts. This sewing book would be quite useless without a sewing machine....so my final present!!

A Sewing Machine!  My Dad actually got this as an early Christmas gift.  My step mom who is an amazing seamstress knew I was looking for a sewing machine and saw this awesome deal on Amazon.  She said it was a good sewing machine, for a good price, for a newbie.  I'll take her word for it.

I am very much a newbie but so excited to start on all these fabulous projects. 
I would also love to make some curtains for the house! and a bunch of  pillows.
 
Who out there is newbie sewer like me? A seasoned pro? Any advice?

* I was in no way compensated for this post.

Let's Talk About Paint

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“How many does that make?” the Lowe’s paint guy asked me as he handed me my sample of paint “Enough” I said. So how many is enough? 22 to be exactly.


Yes I am the paint sample girl at my local Lowe’s but…I have finally chosen paint colors! Before we get to my paint colors and some Pinterest inspiration let’s talk shop.

It was very important to us to use paints with zero-VOCs. According to the EPA the release of VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. They state that the amount of VOC in the air can be an average 2 to 5 times higher indoors than outdoors, not only that they contribute to greenhouse gases. Plus the smell of VOC paints …yucko!

I didn’t think we could afford zero VOC paint since most of them cost around $50 a gallon Wow! So I had admitted defeat and was looking for Valspar and Behr paints which are low-VOC (the back of the can state less than 50g/l) …that was until I found….(insert drum roll here)

Olympic Premium Interior Paint

It is zero VOC paint with zero VOC colorants and is about $24 a gallon….score!!

I have only used it on furniture so far but have been very pleased with it and it has a very low odor.

Another affordable (about $22) zero VOC paint is Better Homes and Gardens by Glidden from Wal-Mart.

We used this to paint the garage. So happy with it!! It covered so nice…even the cinder block in our garage!

So now that I found my Zero VOC paint on to the color choices…or should I say lack of color. I love the color green but sample after sample ended in disappointed. Then I saw these on Pinterest ….



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 I love light neutral colors on the walls, all the other colors in the room just pop …so for our hallway, living room, kitchen, dining room, and other hallway (they are all connected so it would be hard to paint one a different color) we are using this….

Olympic-Country Beige-D18-1

And then the bedroom which I originally wanted to paint green until I stumbled along these…



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soft blue I’m just smitten with this color!



Olympic-January Dawn-B40-3



And yes, my husband could.not.be.happier. we have chosen paint colors.

So what do you think? Any other ideas?

Do you like neutral walls or lots of color?

 

* I was not compensated in any way for this post.

Breakfast Wednesday

Hello Everyone! Time for another What I Ate Wednesday.  I have been unfortunately away from blogging this past week. School starting has really thrown me off but I'm starting to get use to my schedule.  I plan on posting a few times the rest of the week so stay tuned for paint talk (check it out: Let's Talk About Paint) and a craft or two!
But for now on to the food...

Breakfast: Kashi Cereal + Black Coffee + Bananas + Water (no picture because I woke up late and forgot ..yikes!)

Lunch: A veggie bagel sandwich with veggie cream cheese dressed up with my own sprouts and lettuce.  (We were so busy painting this weekend we did not go grocery shopping and we are running out of food!!!!) + Water + blue organic chips and salsa ( I am without a doubt completely addicted to salsa and chips they are the one thing I cannot say no too...chocolate, cake, ice cream I can turn it all down ...salsa and chips ...no way ..sigh)

Post-run snack: Strawberry smoothie + Apple + Water

Dinner: Waffles + Banana + piece of Tempeh "Bacon" + Water ...yummm breakfast for dinner is the best!!

Ugh looking back on my day I realize I was a little lacking on my veggies ...ohhh dear...it stinks when we miss our grocery shopping day ...need to go soon!

Hope everyone had a fabulous Labor Day weekend !!!

Check out the WIAW link party here...

Carb Wednesday

Time for another What I Ate Wednesday!  Things have been busy this week with school starting, but I'm starting to get use to my new schedule...Anyways on to the food!

Breakfast: Wheat toast with melted cheese and tomato slices

Snack: Water and Banana

Lunch: Waffles (the most amazing waffle batter ever! more on that later), apple, and water

Post-run snack: Banana, orange juice, and more water

Dinner: Pasta with a simple tomato sauce (diced tomatoes, simply organic garlic n' herb, and nutritional yeast), salad with black beans, red wine, and water

Thanks for stopping by

Check out the WIAW link party here...