Stylish, Stealthy & Healthy.

Tag Archives: 28 Day Vegetarian Challenge


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I Guess I’ll Give In.

As I perused all the “7 Links” posts going around, I secretly hoped that I wouldn’t get tagged.  I know, I’m just soooo popular, I have to worry about people dying to know more about me!

False.  That’s not why.  I was nervous because I’m just a baby blogger at this point.  I have a lot to say, that much is true, but sometimes I still wake up in disbelief that anyone other than my mom and best friend even read these words that fall from my fingertips onto this glaring white page…every day…

However I’m also a huge pushover (perhaps I shouldn’t have given up that little tidbit) and who am I to turn down the opportunity to talk about what we all know is my favorite topic….

Oh hey there...

So when the lovely Allie tagged me I couldn’t refuse.  Aaaand here goes.  And if you’re totally sick of reading these well I don’t blame you and I promise there will be a super funny joke at the end if you want to just skip ahead.

Most Beautiful:
Love At First Sight
I don’t know what else to say but this was the one post I wrote that made me get a little teary-eyed when I wrote it.  We’ve been going through tough stuff with our little man (more on that another time), and for some reason, writing this post was how I dealt with it.

Most Popular:
What I’ve Learned from TV
Not only was this the most fun post I’ve written, but I had so much fun reading the comments and reminiscing about what can only be described as great freaking TV.

Most Controversial:
Dining Out Vegetarian: Part I
My whole reasoning for doing a vegetarian challenge was so that I could give my body a quick break from meat and to try and prove I could do it.  Plain and simple.  Had I known the fury that would be unleashed upon me by everyone in my life, I would have maybe thought twice.  “WHY??” and “You’re crazy.” and “I don’t get it…” were all phrases I heard regularly, which was not only annoying, but also made the whole thing more dramatic than it needed to be.  However, I didn’t really get angry until I went out to dinner one night and found out there was absolutely nothing vegetarian-friendly on the menu and got a free side of sass from the waitress.

Most Helpful:
Work Out Burn Out
I’ve always been honest about the fact that some days I don’t feel like doing anything but watching Real Housewives marathons and drinking a glass or five of wine.  So opening up about my struggles with working out not only made me feel better, but I really hope that other people were able to relate and realize that it’s ok to take a day (or week, or month!) off if that’s what your body is telling you that you need.

Surprise Success:
Baked Mac & Cheese With Cauliflower
Dude…  I just really like mac & cheese.  But apparently so do a lot of people, because I get multiple hits a day for this post, and I’m just happy more people are able to experience it’s amazingness.  (Yep that’s a word.)

Not Enough:
The Epic Battle of Jessica vs. the Walk-In Closet
This was maybe one of the first really honest posts I’ve ever written.  I have a lot of insecurities and issues with my body-image (which I know, most girls do) but I don’t really like talking about it.  I wrote it early on in my blogging infancy so not a lot of people read it.  And if I can be honest- it’s worth checking out to see my completely adorable wedding shoes alone.

Most Proud:
I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller (Or I Wish I Was a Runner)
I have a hard time admitting I’m not good (or the best) at something.  I’m very competitive, especially when it comes to anything physical.  I can’t explain it, but all I can tell you is I love winning, but I hate losing more.  Admitting my struggles with running not only felt completely liberating, but it actually helped me with my running.  I physically felt some of the weight lift off my shoulders that had been slowing me down.

So that’s all folks.  Ready for that joke?  Guess what: THERE IS NO JOKE.  If you actually skipped this whole post to scroll to the bottom, than you don’t deserve a joke.

For those of you who stuck with it, I send you a million kisses.*

*please don’t expect kisses in the mail.  They don’t travel well.

Also I choose not to tag anyone, as pretty much everyone I know has probably been tagged and either participated or has chosen not to.  And if you haven’t been tagged and want to- tag! You’re it.

Have a great weekend!


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Tofooled You

Today we’re going to focus on the 2nd part of my blog name.  Yep, today, we’re goin’ stealthy.

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Part of the reason I started this blog was that I had all these great ideas for meals that were not only tasty and fairly simple, but that were husband-friendly.  I should rephrase that: slightly-picky-eater-husband-friendly.  And as I bragged talked about these meals with friends and coworkers, they started asking me to share the recipes.  And me being the lazy gal I am, thought the time had come to take the leap and start my blog.  Not only could I share these recipes with lots of people all at once, but I could talk about some of my favorite topics including: ME!  Haha…just kidding… (not really.  But’s cool, I serve up my narcissism with a shot of self-deprivation to wash it down, so it’s not too overwhelming.)

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So right, the stealthy-ness.  So the other night I was determined to face one of my biggest fears during this challenge: tofu.  That little block of intimidation sat in my fridge for almost the entire duration of the veggie challenge and before this thing was over, we were gonna tango.  I don’t know if you’ve ever tangoed with tofu before, but let me tell you.  It’s mandatory you bring your A-Game.

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What’s always in my A-Game artillery?  Oh, just a little thing called basil.  You may have heard of it….

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Fact:  Basil makes everything better. 

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Seriously, it’s science.  (I should also mention that Science was not my strongest subject.)

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Either way, basil = instant deliciousness.  So as I decided how to marinate these little buggers, I knew Mr. Basil would be invited to the party.  And as I let the tofu marinate, I also let the basil theme marinate…in my mind.

And then it hit me:  <insert clouds parting and angels singing>
Caprese Tofu Melts. 

Caprese Tofu Melts
You’ll Need:
1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and sliced into 1/4” thick rectangles
For marinade:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 large bunch basil, 1/2 roughly chopped, 1/2 saved for the sandwich
1 T thyme (I used dry but fresh would be fine too)
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T minced garlic
Pinch salt & pepper
For sandwich:
English muffin (Ezekiel are my favorites)
2 large tomato slices
Remainder of basil (about 8 leaves)
1/4 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt & pepper

Marinate sliced tofu overnight. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tofu on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour, turning carefully, halfway through, until golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes while assembling sandwich.
Place 3-4 basil leaves on each (inside-up) muffin half, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Toast both halves until cheese melts and muffin becomes slightly crispy. Top with 2 slices of tofu, a slice of tomato and then 2-3 basil leaves.

Printer-Friendly Recipe

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So the best part about these seriously delicious little slices of heaven, is that while I was preparing them, my husband wandered into the kitchen asking his usual, “Whatcha makin….” (aka “Can I eat this?”) 

So I responded (after mulling over my response for a moment), “Oh, I’m baking cheese.”  Obviously you and I both know that would be a hot mess.  Literally, a hot melty cheesy mess.  But I told a quick fib about how it was “specially prepared” and to my surprise he ate it up.

He also wandered back into the kitchen a few times during the baking process telling me how awesome it smelled. I knew this was my chance.

I skipped optimistically downstairs to the man cave and handed over a slice, resting gently on a bed of basil.

Chomp, chomp, chomp….  “Mmmm.  That’s good.”

See that?  It’s like I’m a ninja in an apron.

(Yes I told him it was tofu after he ate it and yes he gave me a dirty look but the fact here is people- he liked it.  Jess: 1, husband: 0)  Til next time, tofu.


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28 Days Later: A Vegetarian Challenge in Review

First of all, thank you guys so much for all your encouragement and support during this challenge, it seriously kept me motivated and made me smile on multiple occasions.

Mwah, mwah, mwah.

Hugs all around.

Secondly… *ahem*….Excuse me…. I can’t believe it’s over!!! 

(This is where I’d usually insert a photo of me jumping in exlamation, however I have opted to not apply makeup, get dressed or do my hair today so, yeah.  You can pretty much picture that.)

And lastly:  Someone get me a steak IMMEDIATELY.  Just kidding.  (Sort of).

So what did I learn from this challenge?  I’m glad you asked.  Let me lay it out for you the best way I know how- a listy list.

1.  Despite removing a major source of protein from my diet, not only did I feel more energetic (specifically after eating), but I really enjoyed discovering new ingredients and playing with new foods.  Some of which included: chia seeds, wheat berries, tofu (stay tuned for that recipe), and even nutritional yeast (a laMama Pea’s MMM sauce- I die.).

2.  American chain restaurants= Vegetarian Fail.  Seriously people, would it kill you to throw a veggie burger on the menu?  I mean really.  I shouldn’t be forced to order french fries so I don’t faint on my way out in the parking lot from starvation.  Yes that’s right, forced.

3.  On the contrary, ethnic restaurants= the bomb-sha-bang for vegetarians.  (Bomb-sha-bang is actually an adjective, trust me.)  Options out the ying-yang.  Flavorful, wonderful delightful choices.  Bless you, ethnic restaurants, for you were a beacon of light in this at-times dark tunnel of a challenge.

4.  Explaining your vegetarianism kind of blows.  I felt like a lot of times people gave me weird looks and were a little judgey-pants about this whole thing.  I realized going in that would probably happen, and while I enjoyed talking about my motivation behind doing it, sometimes I just wanted to eat my veggies, y’all. 

5.  Most importantly (and much to my surprise):  I realized that I have some serious willpower.  Yes.  That’s right.  Me.  The girl who always found the key to our cupboard growing up where Mom hid the tastycakes.  The girl who knows what to do with a third and fourth slice of pizza.  I did it.  I stayed strong even when temptation was practically high-school-dance-style grinding all up on me (sushi anyone??),  I held myself accountable and want to shout it from a mountaintop.  Or at least write about it on this blog which is conveniently right in front of me.

So where does this leave me?  Well friends, I’ll tell you, I’ve made some decisions concerning my diet and have decided to try and stick with it…mostly.  I can’t deny how well my body responded to this challenge, and specifically the lack of temptation at parties, work events where bacon-wrapped-this and chicken-stuffed-that swirled around me constantly.  But that was just icing on the egg-free cake. 

That being said, I will be reintroducing fish and eggs back into my diet, but am going to continue and restrict the amount of meat I consume.  (At least when I make it myself, I know it’s organic/hormone free/lean, etc.)  And if one day I feel like I really want to eat a steak when I’m out to dinner, I’ll eat it.  Or if I’m at a party where I just can’t say no to that sweet sweet buffalo chicken dip, I’ll get my dip on.  But for the most part, I think I’ll keep this vegetarian pescetarian party going. 

Now if you don’t mind, I think I’ll mosey over to the sushi table and reunite with my old friend spicy tuna roll.  God I’ve missed you.  Join me, won’t you?

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