SUCESS!!!

I just made The Best Fries Ever. Yes, they deserve capitalization. They are THAT GOOD and healthier (not healthy, but better) than most others. Especially compared to most sold here (restaurants or frozen in bags) as most here are fried in palm oil, which is so unhealthy. These fries are the best I've had since I had to give up McDonalds last summer (when I couldn't trick myself about their use of beef oils anymore lol) Especially good after my failure with home fries.

These are so easy to make too:
peel and slice potatoes into fry shapes (I used a HUGE potato and a small one)
parboil potatoes until almost cooked, still firm
put them on a pan and brush oil over them (I used canola oil mixed with garlic powder)
bake at a high temperature until golden (flip when they start to crisp)

Mmmmmm fries :)

And in non-food news, because, yes, I DO have a life beyond food, schoolwork is going ok. I checked online and my first math unit has been received. I just have to wait for them to mail it back to know what my mark was (wish me luck!!). I finished all my English units with marks of 85, 97, 100, and 100 and great comments from my teachers, so I'm just waiting to write the exam. I dropped my accounting course (yesss!). And I'm almost finished my first unit of history, writing this is my last bit of procrastination.

I just looked out the window...

...and noticed how... BLUE the ocean was today. So I thought I'd share:

I think we're getting our nice weather back. Phew...

One day I'll make some pretty food...

I don't like plain bananas. It's a texture thing with me, I think. But I've been experimenting with them in other ways the past couple days. Chopping them, covering them in dry-fried oats and some melted dark chocolate and freezing them is delicious. And of course banana bread/muffins/cake is great (and the recipe is usually egg-free to start, bananas and baking powder are egg-replacements)
But this smoothie...man, I'm addicted. We finally got a blender the other day (you know how things are put off, even months after moving?) and I wanted to use it right away. We didn't have berries or anything at the time. Only bananas. So I blended together some ice cubes, soymilk, bananas and vanillin. Sooo good. It turns out totally frothy, and stays that way, unlike cows milk, which would bubble but stay liquid at the bottom. Great way to get some protien into me in the mornings. But, of course it's ugly. Soy milk doesn't have the nicest colour, and neither do mushed up bananas. I don't know how I'll convert anyone if all my yummy food looks so gross lol

In other news, I found this chart today here

I edited it to remove the sections for eggs and dairy. I always talked about getting all my amino acids, but never knew what they actually were. Well, I knew for about two weeks at one point last year in Food and Nutrition class, but forgot after the test. So this is useful. Especially to remind me that corn is actually a grain, not a vegetable.

It's ugly, but goooood

I was cleaning-ish my kitchen today and came across green onions in my fridge... "Hmmm, green onions?" I thought. "I bought those for a reason... but why?" And then I remembered! General Tao's Tofu Sauce! I got the recipe from VegWeb.com see recipe here
Before starting on the sauce, I'd started some lentil rice thingie with:
1 c rice
1/2 split white lentils
1 chopped tomato
about a teaspoon mixed spices (oregano, basil, sage, etc)
3 1/4 c water
Cook it like you would rice (bring to a boil, turn down heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until cooked)
The rice and lentils make a complete protein....

So, anyways, I made the sauce (doubled the recipe cause I love it) putting more cornstarch in to make it thicker because last time it was really watery.
And it turned out UGLY! But it tastes so good. There it is on the lentil rice:

And there's the leftover sauce. Ugly, eh? But it spices up anything, rice, vegetables, lentils, tofu, etc...

Up before noon, wow!

I started my "plan" today. Finally. I got out of bed before noon for the first time in over two weeks, and started the day off right with a pb&j toasted sandwich (on cute little brown bread) After that, I had a walk. It's been FREEZING lately! Well, freezing for this country, at least. Last night I wore track pants underneath my pj bottoms, a tank top and two baggy t-shirts overtop, and two pairs of socks! Of course, I wasn't that bundled up for my walk, but I came close. I kept both pairs of socks on, put my "yoga pants" (leggings, basically) on under my jeans, and wore a jacket over my sweater over my long-sleeved shirt. See the picture? PUDDLES!!! Not too common here.

I'm glad nobody's visting us now, because they'd think we totally lied about the weather. I've been told that in a couple days this rainy-ness will clear up and I'll experience my first Middle Eastern summer.

In more important news... My food situation for today: not so great thus far. I made fried potatoes after my walk, and they were not delicious, as evidence shows:

I DIDN'T EVEN FINISH THEM!! If you know me, you know I love my carbs, especially potatoes and will almost always finish them. Got a plate of lukewarm mediocore french fries you don't want? I'll eat them!! So the fact that I didn't finish these is significant. The spices were weird, I think it's cause I prepared and mixed them with the potatoes the night before, and added some green onions. And I thought I was being so efficent last night. Oh well...

For lunch today I'm going to have soup... I really want instant crap, but I know I should eat some of my frozen homemade lentil-vegetable soup. With the lentils and whole-wheat noodles, it's a complete protien for my vegan self, and it's yummy but sometimes freeze-dried sodium just calls to you.