My Vegan Ways (or as close as I'm going to get)

I had been toying with the idea of becoming a Vegan. I had done it once before and I figured it would be a piece of cake. Little did I know the hold cheese had on me. It is amazing how much power food has over us. It is practically scary.

I did not have a choice in the matter of giving up cheese. In 2005 I started to develop an intolerance to dairy. First I gave up milk which was my drug of choice. I drank a cup of milk with every meal. There was something so refreshing and relaxing about a cold glass of milk. I thought I'd never be able to give it up, but I did. Slowly I replaced it with rice milk, then almond milk. Then went ice cream, yogurt, butter and finally cheese.

It took me about five years for the entire process from milk to cheese. During those years my intolerance became a horrid intolerance followed by full blown allergy to dairy. I remember during the last days of eating cheese or having a croissant I would enjoy the edible amazingness (not really a word) for maybe ten minutes and then I would suffer the consequences for the next five hours. I decided ten minutes of pleasure was not worth the five hours of hell I would go through afterwards.

I had to reinvent my diet. No more pizza, lasagna, ziti, tacos with sour cream and tons of cheese. It was a lot to deal with. I went through withdrawal. I missed eating cheese so much to the point that I would go in the room to cry because my family was having pizza and I couldn't. I know it sounds bizarre but I promise you cheese has that powerful of a hold on us. If you don't believe me I dare you to go without cheese or dairy for  just one month. Let me know how you do. After about a month I could tolerate being at a table with others eating cheese.

About six months into going dairy free I decided to be meat free as well. You could almost say that I am a vegan but I'm not. I still use honey in my tea and if something has eggs in it like bread or pasta, I'm okay with that. Maybe one day I will be a complete vegan as far as my diet is concerned but today is not that day. Being a dairy free vegetarian has opened up so many doors to so many different types of cuisines. I am really enjoying this new way of life. I feel healthier. I actually lost like ten pounds without even trying. I went down one size in clothes. All from eating fruits, vegetables, rice, beans and nuts.

I love being almost Vegan :) That should be the title of my new blog! LOL I actually have a board on my pinterest account dedicated to Vegan Cuisine. Check it out if you get a chance. Try some of the recipes out. You don't have to become a Vegan to enjoy some yummy vegan meals. You just have to be willing to try new things. Hope this link works. I am technologically challenged.

http://pinterest.com/venus615/

Goodness We are Already in March

I can't believe I have not blogged since January. Time seems to be slipping by so quickly. I have been kind of in a funk lately. My sweet daughter, son in law, and two grand-babies moved out West. It was bittersweet to let her go. I am so happy that she is grown and has her own family. At the same time I always see her as my little girl and want to hold on to her and be there to fix every boo boo. Letting go is so hard. Especially when it is your first child and you don't know what to expect. We keep in touch through Skype.  My sweet monkey (my nickname for my grandson) knows how to use it and calls me all the time. We call each other daily and also leave messages on our Facebook walls. I miss my Josie so much but at the same time I am so blessed to have so many ways to communicate with her. I am also blessed to still have three children at home.

My daughter Josie and granddaughter Mya in AZ.


There is never a dull moment at Casa Velilla (the name of our house and this blog!) Just today my ten year old son Jaime comes to me with a piece of dental floss about three feet long. He tells me his sister Jade, she's 12, has decided they are going to pull out his last baby tooth by attaching one end of the dental floss to the bathroom door knob and the other end to his tooth. So of course I tie the floss around his tooth. As he goes to stand up he accidentally steps on the floss and out comes his tooth. Jade is bummed that her plan did not come to be. Jaime runs to the bathroom and runs out declaring part of his gum is missing and he has a ten percent chance of bleeding to death! Children are curious by nature but I think home-schooled children have double the curiosity about everything. They spend the next ten minutes studying the tooth and soaking it with Hydrogen Peroxide. They each have their own theory on how peroxide works and where it comes from. So needless to say we are going to study all about hydrogen peroxide for science this week.

I know one day they will grow up and I will remember all the wonderful memories we made. I know that day will be here sooner than I want it to be. Until then I will enjoy them each day. I will laugh and marvel at what their little minds think of doing and exploring. I thank God for letting me share this journey with them. I have always felt that my purpose in this life is to be a wife and a mother to the beautiful family I was blessed with. I am just happy that I get the chance to do just that.

Happy New Year!!!

A new year. Time for new beginnings, do overs, second chances. There is something peacefully calm about getting to start over again. Everything is in the past and it is now time to push forward and be the best person you can be.

I am not one to make New Year's Resolutions. This year however, I want to make a list. I need to write down all the things I want to improve or accomplish for 2013 and put it somewhere visible. I believe if I can see my list of goals it will encourage me. Here are a few that will be on my list.

1. Get organized! I bet this one is a popular one. My plan is to go through each room in the house with a notebook and write down what the room needs in order to be organized. For example if I were looking at my kids bathroom I would see towels on the floor and clutter under the sink. I need to write in my notebook towel hooks and containers for under the sink. In the kitchen I definitely need something to keep my pots and pans organized. Hopefully I can hit one room each month and by the end of the year each room is completely organized.

2. Spend time on myself. I am guilty of letting the mom in me take over and I forget to be an individual. I actually feel guilt at times if I take time to get my nails or hair done. I need to get over this and make myself a priority. I need to feel good and look good so I can teach my children about confidence. So I will go shopping for clothes and shoes this year. I will read books that have nothing to do with parenting, cooking or homeschooling. I will take time for friends and just hang out and explore and do the things that interest me.

3. I will stop avoiding exercise. I don't need to participate in a triathlon. I just want to get moving. I need to take a walk everyday. It can be alone or with the kids. We can explore our neighborhood and go on bike rides. I have a beautiful trail that runs right by my home. I need to take advantage of that. Maybe I can reward myself for exercising by buying myself a little something and I can kill two birds with one stone! (Goodness who made that up? It sounds so violent.)

4. I will be a light in my community. There are so many opportunities all around me to help others. I strongly believe we are all put on this Earth to help one another. I need to stop being selfish and give some of my time to help the community. This year I will find churches, organizations, clubs that need my help. I can also involve my children so they can learn from an early age the beauty of lending a hand. I want them to know that they can make a difference in this world. At times some of the ugliness in this world seems overwhelming and it paralyzes me. Who am I kidding it always paralyzes me. This year I will leave fear behind and make whatever difference I can. Change has to start somewhere.

2013 will be a wonderful year. A year of growth and positive changes. A year of becoming the woman I was meant to be. A year of directing my children towards a path of compassion, love and giving. What I hope the most for this year is to remember life is not a guarantee. I might not be here tomorrow so I need to make a difference today. Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all make a difference in someones life this year.

Things that I am Thankful for...

These are some of the things I am thankful for in my life.

My husband, the love of my life.

My children, pretending not to be excited at Disney World.

My Oldest Josie and her husband Luis.

My grandchildren Christian and Mya.

Showers. I really love taking hot showers. FYI that is not me! LOL

Chocolate. Chocolate filled with more chocolate.

Plants vs. Zombies! Yes I love to play this game.

I am most thankful for being a daughter of God. If I had a picture of Him I would put it on here. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving

Once again the holidays have snuck up on us. How is it that each year I hear myself saying, " I can't believe it's Thanksgiving already". This year has brought us so much to be thankful for. Starting with the birth of our first granddaughter, Mya Bella. She is beautiful and such a happy and calm baby. Her smile and little dimple just lights up our entire house. She is so small and so innocent yet she has had such a tremendous impact on each one of us.

Our sweet grandson turned two in October. He is quite the chatter box. He is full of wonder and adventure. He keeps us on our toes. He is always busy and on the go. He is loving and kind. When his baby sister came home he wasn't sure about her. He had some moments of jealousy. These days he loves his baby sister and kisses and hugs her constantly. He is protective of her and tells others she is" his" baby.

I am so thankful for my husband. He is a man that works extremely hard so that I can stay at home and raise our children. He has a tough job and has to deal with many unpleasantries. He gladly deals with all of them to grant us the opportunity to homeschool and go on many field trips. One of our favorite destinations is Disney World. There is so much opportunity for the children to learn about so many things in each of the parks.

I am so thankful for our home and our neighbors. We were blessed with buying a new home last year. We have also been blessed with having some wonderful neighbors. Our children all play so well together. It is so nice to see each and every day, all of the neighborhood kids running and climbing and long boarding, skateboarding, bicycle riding each day. Some of us moms have been getting together for coffee on Wednesday mornings and just sharing with one another. Getting to know each other. I feel really honored to live in such a great community.

I am thankful for my dad. He lives with us. He is always helping around the house. He spoils the kids a little too much! He takes their breakfast orders the night before and always makes them a hearty healthy breakfast. He does a lot of the honey do list around the house considering my husband works long hours. My dad really loves his grand kids and great grand kids so much.

I am so thankful for my children. My eldest child Josie, is married has two babies and has grown by leaps and bounds this year. She has learned to trust completely in God. One of the beautiful things of her journey is that her husband has joined her in loving and trusting the Lord completely. They are about to go on a new adventure to Arizona. God has opened every door for them to make this journey possible. We are going to miss them terribly but we are so happy that they get to experience this new chapter in their lives.

Our second oldest, Jevan, has decided to pursue mechanical engineering once he is done with his culinary degree. He is such a smart young man. I know he will do well in both of these fields. He has started to volunteer with his church youth group. Most kids leave the group once they graduate high school but he decided to become staff and keep worshiping with these kids and to be an example to his younger sister and brother. He is on a cruise to the Western Caribbean as we speak. I am going to miss him tomorrow on Thanksgiving but I know he is having fun and am grateful he gets the opportunity to travel.

My youngest two Jade (12) and Jaime (10), are working hard at being kids! They have so much zeal for life. They are so curious and not afraid of much. They have fallen in love with the sport of long boarding(thanks to my 19yr old son). On Saturdays they ride their boards to the Farmer's Market and enjoy what our community has to offer. Every day is a new adventure with them. We have been doing field trips lately. Recently we met up with our Disney Homeschool group for a photo scavenger hunt. Fun was had by all and we learned so much. We were playing detectives that day and deciphering the pictures.

Thank you God for giving us so much to be thankful for. I am most thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am thankful that He is my God and I am His child. I am thankful for the freedom I have in Him. From our home to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family, your loved ones, your community, friends and neighbors.

Fall Delights

Fall is in the air. Of course in Florida that means the low is 78 degrees and the high is 89. Nevertheless I am in the mood for Fall. All the warm colors. The wonderful aromas of cinnamon and spice. The shorter days and longer nights. Enjoy these beautiful pictures.

Fall leaves. The colors that Autumn brings are so vibrant and warm.

Time to go to the pumpkin patch and pick the perfect one. I have so many ideas for them this year. Here are a few.

Look at these great decorating ideas. They sure have inspired me to bring some warmth into this Florida home.

Yearning for the Holidays

Today I was craving for a Thanksgiving meal. Of course we are in the middle of October and Thanksgiving is only a month away. I figured if I actually cooked a traditional Thanksgiving dinner today it wouldn't feel as special when the actual holiday rolls around. So instead we had Thanksgiving Sandwiches.

We got some Oven Roasted Turkey Breast from the Deli at our local supermarket. We had them slice it nice and thick so it felt like leftover Thanksgiving turkey. We used Honey Whole Wheat bread, spread whole berry cranberry sauce on the bread. Then I layered a couple of turkey slices on the cranberry sauce. I topped that with stuffing and poured some gravy on that. I finished it by adding more cranberry sauce on the top piece of bread. It was warm and delicious. It was just a little bit of Thanksgiving in October.

Happy Holidays!