Was sad and tired this morning that I ended up having a totally unhealthy day. To compound matters, I skipped yoga.

Tomorrow is another day.

Husband's Breakfast: Tarte au Fromage

See picture here.

J surprised me last night with a traditional rolling pin from Gourdo's, and I was so excited to use it I immediately tried making a tart even without a tart dish. I was hoping the sides would puff a bit so I made dots on the crust with a fork, but I guess I have more practicing to do. Good progress though...the crust came out better (evenly crisp with no soggy areas), and preparation time is getting shorter not to mention cleaner working area.

I still mentally flog my OB GYN rant that I have to abandon being a strict vegetarian for the time being to prepare for having a baby because while being vegetarian is in vogue in Manila, maintaining a vegan lifestyle is still eons away from acceptance and integration in our culture. That means resistant doctors and limited consumer products, among other things. I would rather make sacrifices than experiment and second guess. Family comes first.

So instead of having my usual soy cafe au lait while cooking, I tried using skim milk. Ewww. The after-taste is horrible. But powdered skim milk (fortified with calcium to make the effort worth it) is way better than the ready-to-drink kind that I used in my first attempt at dairy. I cannot say ewww enough.

Husband's Breakfast: Tuna Wrapped in Rough Puff Pastry

I experimented making rough puff pastry dough yesterday and thought of using it for breakfast. I am still struggling with the oven toaster to use for baking, though, so I had some funny moments while I was making breakfast. But it does not look that bad now, does it?

For me, I had my morning soy cafe au lait. Heavenly.

See link below:

Tuna Wrapped in Rough Puff Pastry

When I run out of ideas in the kitchen, I always end up with Mediterranean Food, especially Tuscan dishes.

See link below:

Husband's Packed Lunch: Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil and Thyme

Two days ago (Saturday), I decided to make some vegan desserts (as I usually do on weekends) to share with my Mom and my Sister as a token when I give them my week’s laundry. It was also my first time to use our oven toaster, and I have to say that I am positively hooked! I can just picture endless possibilities, and the clean up is such a breeze that I cannot wait to hit the grocery store or even Gourdo’s to buy baking sheets and other such tools.

See links below:

Soft Cookies
Vegan Chocolate Truffles

Too lazy to repost haha. So just click on the links below.

Husband's Dinner: Asian Stir Fried Vegetables
My Dinner: Falafel Patties with Sriracha

It has been an action-packed two (almost three) months.

It is a pleasant surprise that a trying heartbreaking event brought us closer than ever...and even strengthened our bond as a couple with our families. It is also great news that I am learning a lot in the kitchen. I decided to use the blender today to abuse vegetables. Clean up is expectedly a headache, but given the results, it is well worth it.

Husband's Breakfast: Stewed Tomatoes and Eggs over Herb Couscous
My Brunch: Cauliflower Rice with Stewed Tomatoes

No added salt, very little oil (for the eggs), rich in flavor. We used organic tomatoes from Ilocos, and they were heavenly.

Maybe I should take pictures next time?

CNN - 11-year-old girl can't be 'willing' in sex"

Speechless.

There are a lot of things to smile about, even grin and laugh about, married life. I honestly feel a more stable all-encompassing sense of happiness and fulfillment, especially as I take care of my husband and our home, and as I discover things about us that make me feel proud. I am also closer to my immediate family, and I see the world with a sense of gratitude that necessarily hugs me with humility.

I am even more efficient at work nowadays.

However, I feel a pang of listlessness bordering on incoherence that I seem to be walking with two left feet at certain times. For the past three days, my mind has been acing responsibilities but my body wants to stretch - both literally and figuratively. I feel so unhealthy, so overweight, so weak, that I cannot even find the inner strength to go to yoga class. Somehow, I feel that instead of going to yoga class at 6:30 in the morning, I could finish my memoranda for work before the 9 am mark - an accomplishment that would yield more benefits throughout the day, partly for myself but also for all my other areas of responsibility, compared to sweating it out in the hot room, which would yield benefits only for myself.

I am struggling through an inner conflict, even as I bask in happiness, and my skin is taking the brunt of the stress that the war is causing.

So I have been trying to tame the kitchen, whipping up scrambled eggs, French toast, fried salmon, fried cream dory, endless oatmeal, pesto, beans with tomatoes, stir-fried vegetables, and heating leftovers.

Still stumped on what to do today, though. But let's see. I have a couple of minutes left.

The new routine is taking its toll on my body, although I am really happy and still excited about every day.

I wonder when the birth pains would evolve into comfortable routine.