I'm Going to Lacinato Me Some Kale!!

I am still obviously new to the whole vegan thing and especially with cooking with new and different herbs, spices and vegetables.  In RHIW, Tess talks about "Lacinato Kale" and this is what she recommends you to use in her recipes.  Also, in the same recipes she cuts the kale into thin ribbons.  When I went to the grocery store to get my ingredients, I needed to buy kale and I bought kale.  In reading the recipe again I saw the Lacinato and didn't remember seeing it in the store.  For some reason I got it in my head that "Lacinato"  must be a fancy cooking term for cutting into thin ribbons.  "Must be an Italian word" I thought to myself.  (Tess I hope you're reading this!!)  A couple of weeks later, I was in a better produce dept. at another store.  And there I saw it: Lacinato Kale.  So I bought it for my recipe and later decided it was a better kale than the other one.  But I still laugh to myself that I thought it was a cooking term.  It's the absurd things like that, that keep me going. I love to laugh and have no trouble laughing at myself.  So, today is WEIGH IN DAY (said with a crazy deep computerized voice).   I lost 4 more pounds!!  YAY!!!   I still haven't started working out...I know, I know!  I need to and I will, but I'm just glad that some of the weight is coming off.  it makes it easier to be able to work out.  It really does seem like a reward for me.  I didn't become vegan to lose weight, I did it for health.  But seeing the weight fall off of me has been inspiring and a visual measurement of becoming healthier.  Another thing I've been doing is learning a little more about the unhealthy aspects of meat and dairy.  I have been coming under fire from some people (I can never figure out why people get mad at me for not eating meat or dairy anymore) and it's helped me knowing some facts so I can explain myself better.  Sometimes it's not worth it.  I can't help though, wanting to pass on what I learned.  This is some scary stuff that I can't believe I never knew.  Ultimately though people just do what they've always done and don't really want to change.  I try to respect that.  Man, if they had a taste of what I feel they'd change too.  No Valentine's candy for me this year, but I did make yummy vegan chocolate chip cookies (Thank you Tess).  It's nice having some comfort foods now and then =)  Let's do stats:

Hunger:  Needed some substantial foods today.  I went for my go go meal of portabellas & onions with tamari.  It feels "meaty" to me.
Mood:  Good!  I was a little tired today.
Cravings:  No, not really. 
Health:  Well I had a headache because the sun was so bright and I had no sunglasses, but that went away.  Good, Good, Good.

A month down.  I in the beginning committed only a month to myself.  But it wasn't long into it that I knew I would stay vegan indefinitely. I read back through my blogs over the month and I cracked up about the montage.  Now I have that behind me and I feel like I'm really enjoying every minute of this and the month went by fast.  I don't need a montage any more.  Good night everybody, be happy =)

Danielle