Hot For Food Does it Again!

                                           
I came across this video the other day and wanted to share it. Since I've been taking time off it seemed like the perfect way to dip my toe in the blogging pool again. I know the Super Bowl is coming up at some point. I'm not really a sports fan but I know a lot of people are, and this seems like a great treat to please vegans and non vegans alike. It might even make some people fall in love with Brussels sprouts! I really love Hot For Food's recipe?! videos. That is how I learned to cook, and how I cook on the regular. Just seeing what I have on hand and going from there. Some of the tastiest things I've made have been a little of this, and a little of that. I plan on making these as soon as I figure out a gluten free alternative to panko or breadcrumbs since I'm avoiding gluten and all. :(
When I make them I will be baking them since I have a serious fear of deep frying. All that oil bubbling just seems too dangerous. Especially when you have nosy kitties who like to hop on the counter and "help" with cooking. I feel pretty confidant these will be delicious oven baked too.
As I said, I miss blogging and for awhile my food was very boring, so I felt like what's the point. My food is still more boring than I would like, but I love to cook, and I love to be creative in the kitchen, so I'm slowly getting inspired again. I miss gluten like you wouldn't believe, but like everything else in life you learn to adjust.
I also feel so sad, angry and helpless over the happenings of the first week of that man who is our unfortunate president. I mean, I knew it was going to be bad, but this is worse than I ever imagined. I feel like we all need to pay attention and speak up in whatever way possible. Speaking up is our right, and our duty.
Before I sign off, (my toe is pruning) I just want to say that two things that are really bad when you have hypothyroidism are gluten and caffeine. I have been a caffeine junkie for so many years. I started sneaking coffee when I was twelve! When I got caught, my step-dad told me it would stunt my growth, and I just didn't care. I also had a bad addiction to energy drinks when I was at my worst and unhealthiest. Even though I gave up coffee several years ago, I still drank a healthy amount of green tea. Over the past two months I have weaned myself off of all caffeinated teas, and now I drink only herbal. Mostly Rooibos and Dandelion. It's been tough, but I am so proud and actually feel great. It feels great to not be addicted to anything. I am free for the first time! Small accomplishments!
I hope you are all doing well, and I will be back on a regular basis soon!

Extended Absence

                              
I thought this was a fun video. I'm always interested in what non vegans and vegetarians have to say about vegan foods because they're the ones we need to convince if we want to save animals. I think these Impossible burgers are impressing a lot of meat eaters.
I know on my last post I said I was taking the rest of December off for several reasons. The end of December was tough for me. There was Christmas, four days later my birthday, and then New Year's Eve was the one year anniversary of Dylan's passing. My heart actually physically hurt.
I'm taking a longer break from blogging than I expected, and I didn't want to just disappear without saying anything. For right now my heart just isn't in this, and I don't feel safe or comfortable sharing my life online. And I feel not a single ounce of hope for the new year. I thought about dialing back on life stories and just focusing on my food, but truth be told my food has been BEYOND boring. I have hit a creative block when it comes to food ever since finding out I have hypothyroidism. I've cut out gluten and all processed foods and I'm pretty miserable. I miss bread like you wouldn't imagine. Gluten free breads and such are not only hard to find, but ridiculously expensive. The worst part is that I don't even see a difference. I'm not losing weight, and I still feel sluggish, foggy and depressed. It's incredibly frustrating. It makes me wonder why I ever gave up smoking cigarettes and drinking. Living a healthier life seems to be doing me no good. At least alcohol numbed the pain for a few hours, and I knew that the extra weight was due to excessive beer. Now I have this extra weight, that shouldn't be there, and I'm having no fun.
I'm hoping at some point I will have a change of heart. There was a time where I got immense fulfillment and joy from blogging. It seriously saved my sanity many times. But a lot has changed and happened since those days. I don't even recognize myself in the mirror. My eyes look dead. I have no spark or life in my eyes. It's like sadness and depression are invading my body and spirit.
Maybe one day I'll get my mojo back and feel like sharing again, but for now it's just not there. And considering what's about to happen in this country with Dump taking office soon, it makes me all the more sad and discouraged. I would rather talk politics in real life where if people want to be rude and attack me for my opinions they have to do it to my face, not anonymously through a comment section.
Sorry for such a downer of a post, but I just wanted to explain my absence and say that this experience and connecting with some really awesome vegans has been in the top five of amazing experiences in my life. I hope to stay in touch with everyone through blogs and all of that, and hope that one day I will feel ready to join in the mix again.