My Vegan Day

As I have mentioned since today is the first day of the Great Fast I wont eat any meat or dairy along with the not eating gluten so besides being gluten free I had to be vegan as well.  I think I ate pretty good.  This morning I had gluten free toast with almond butter and distilled maple water.  For lunch it was rice noodles with garlic and onion.  I snacked all day on nuts, vacuum fried pineapple and freeze dried strawberries.  Now for dinner I just had a salad of romaine lettuce, green onions, mandarin oranges, and candied almonds with a homemade dressing of oil, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  With it I had a bowl of lentil vegetable soup from Trader Joe's that Manny just loved.  I have to say what I missed most today was a cup of coffee from our new Keurig coffee maker.  But there is no way I could have coffee without cream.

Starting Weight is.......

140 lbs!  Ugh, I have gained about 5 lbs back since I ate so many wheat based products this last 2 weeks cause I knew I was stopping today.  Pizza, hoagies, cakes and cookies.  You don't really realize how many things have wheat in them until you try and stop eating it.
Oh my gosh, I just measured my waist right now- right above my hips and below my belly button and it is 39 and 1/2 inches!  That's just ridiculous for not having a baby in there and not one since 2 years ago.  I know I have carried 5 babies to term and that my belly is stretched but, come on, I'm not gonna live this way, its not healthy.. 
OK, so to sum up my "wheat belly",
140 lbs- weight (I'm about 5'5")
39 1/2 inches- waist at rest

I can't believe I'm posting this but it should keep me accountable!

22 inches- thigh
12 inches- upper arm

Now I'm not really going to "diet" or even do much exercise- even though I should- I'm just going to give up wheat and gluten and fast from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays for the Great Fast (Great Lent) and see what happens.  I want to FEEL better more than look better.  I have 5 beautiful children to take care of and I want to be at my best for them and my husband. 

Wheat Belly

Wow, I have been reading this book and I highly recommend it.  It has inspired me to give up wheat and gluten during the Great Fast.  Its not going to be easy considering I LOVE bread, baked goods, pizza, you name it.  But I'm gonna do it and try to track my progress here to help keep myself accountable.  I'm going to do my weight and measurements in the morning and try to resist the temptation of weighing myself often and only do it once a week.  I hope I'm much healthier physically and spiritually by the end of the Fast.  If anyone has any good gluten free recipes please comment with them.

August: The Month of the Theotokos

I'm going to be writing about Mary or the Theotokos this month so more will be coming.

This is from a great book titled- Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home by Anthony M. Coniaris

To the Orthodox Christian August is a sacred month- a month that brings with it a feeling of intensified reverence. It is the month of the Blessed Theotokos. For on the fifteenth of August the Orthodox Church celebrates the most solemn of feasts related to the Mother of God, namely, her repose or falling asleep.

Special prayer services are held regularly during the first fifteen days of the month. It is a period of special fasting similar to Lent. Orthodox families are invited to attend these services and to participate in the fast.

In order to help parents explain the meaning of this sacred period to their children, we propose to deal with the following two question:

1. What we mean by the falling asleep of the Theotokos (Mary);

2. Why, as Orthodox Christians, do we regard her above all the saints of God as "more honorable than the Seraphim and more glorious then the Cheruim."

Spinach and Cheddar Strata

This is sooo yummy and easy....

1 teaspoon olive oil
10 onces spinach
3 cups day-old bread cubes
5 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup whole milk- or 1% and cream mixed
1 1/4 cups graded sharp white cheddar
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.
cook spinach in olive oil till wilted and squeeze
in bowl mix eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper.
in a greased dish put bread cubes add spinach and pour egg mixture on top.
Bake 20- 25 mins. or till set.

Made for a great brunch with bacon and cinnamon rolls before I ran down to 1st Saturday rosary.

Dormition Fast August 1st Through the 14th

Edit- I talked with Father Paul and he said we can fast from meat only so since I'm nursing my lil guy thats what I'm gonna do plus give up my sweeties- baked good, cookies, pies, cakes, ect.... Oh my!!!!


I'm posting this for myself so I can remember what to do.....

The general guidelines for the Dormition Fast are as follows:

WEEKDAYS are Strict Fast Days. On these days we abstain from meat, dairy, fish with backbones, fowl, wine, and oil.

SATURDAYS and SUNDAYS are Wine and Oil Days. On these days the fast is relaxed to permit wine and oil, but we still abstain from meat, dairy, fish with backbones, and fowl.

The one exception to these general rules is that the Great Feast of the Holy Transfiguration of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ (August 6), which always falls during the Dormition Fast, is celebrated as a Fish, Wine, and Oil Day. On this great feastday, the fast is further relaxed to permit fish with backbones, in addition to wine and oil, but we still abstain from meat, dairy, and fowl.

Notes:

Meals for the fast should follow the dietary restrictions and be cooked simply. Portions should be smaller than usual.
If you have a medical condition that requires you to relax the fasting guidelines, then do so.
Generally speaking, children and elderly people are allowed to relax the fast under the guidance of their spiritual father.