Anyway, I quickly dove into the world of wedding planning sites (and quickly got overwhelmed, then scared). One theme I’ve noticed pretty strongly is that brides want to lose weight. Not only do they want to, but they expect to and go so far as to plan their attire around the new weight they expect to hit. I can understand the draw, especially with the strapless dresses most want to rock on their big days. If you’re overweight and your wedding day is the motivation you need to get into a healthy routine, then I applaud you.

However, the obsession with bridal body image frankly disturbs me. My wedding day is supposed to be a celebration of the love I share with my fiancé. It is an opportunity to gather our closest family in our new home for a happy occasion. It’s also a time to help us outfit our kitchen. (I tease on the last one.) It is not a time to scrutinize my arms or my hips. It’s not a time to be on display. It’s a time to laugh and cry and hug and make joyful new memories. Yes, there will be a photographer, but his lens will be focusing on our smiles and tears, not our saddlebags.

Fact: I am currently about five pounds heavier than normal, which is in turn five pounds heavier than my ideal weight. I want to lose that full 10 pounds by eating well and getting back to the gym.

That said, I have decided not to lose an ounce for my wedding. Why? For all the things I said about what a wedding is. A wedding isn’t a pageant. It isn’t a modeling competition. It is a celebration of love and happiness. It is the last day on which I should be worried about whether or not anyone is judging me. If they are, then they can take a hike (but leave the blender, please).

It’s also for my sanity. Theoretically, I could lose those five extra pounds in five weeks, but at what reward? There is no chance I won’t feel radiant on my wedding day. How could I not, when I’m surrounded by the people I love most in the world, including the man who is going to promise to love me for the rest of my life? Losing five pounds or 50 doesn’t increase or decrease the love in your life. Obsessing over weight loss (something at which, frankly, most people fail) will not make your wedding day better.

I spend so much of my daily life thinking and worrying about my weight that I want my wedding to be a break from it, a day on which I’m grateful to be exactly the way I am.

It goes without saying that this is all just my opinion, and maybe your experience is totally different, but I wanted to give voice to another perspective.

Here’s the menu. So far, I have tried the: Tempeh Bacon Melt (excellent), Vegan Spicy Soyrizo & Black Bean Wrap (very good), Traditional Vegan Club (my fave, below)

Vegan Picnic Sandwich (my second fave), and the Caprese (with veggies added, below).

There are only two meat-free options left that I haven’t tried, and the only one that doesn’t appeal to me is the Drunk’n Goat on Highway 128. I’m not really into chutneys on a sandwich, but I’m sure my perfectionist nature will win out eventually. I recommend anything from Mendocino that involves their tempeh bacon. I’m borderline obsessed with it. It is smoky and delicious without trying to hard to taste like dead pig.

I really need to do a full Mendocino review, but I will have to wait until I manage to photograph their delicious side dishes. Somehow they almost always disappear before I remember to whip out my picture-taking device . . .

Also on the menu this weekend were some vegan treats from Babycakes.

That’s a maple doughnut and a Wonder Bun (gluten-free and like a denser cinnamon roll). Both were incredible! We polished them off for breakfast Saturday morning.

All hail the “Eat Me” plate.

What is your favorite breakfast pastry? I’m a cinnamon fiend, so a big, doughy roll is my fave.

Last week, I attended a training in Pasadena where they served us lunch and snacks. That’s my kind of place. Breakfast:

Multiply the black coffee by two. This bar was borderline wretched, I hate to say. I mean, I ate it, but I only barely choked it down.

Lunch, luckily, was a lot better:

Salad with some kind of feta-based dressing and apples, dried cranberries, avocado, and other surprises; a veggie sandwich with sun-dried tomato spread and the usual suspects; and fresh fruit. I was very impressed by the options. I could have skipped the salad and had a vegan feast.

Later (as in 10 minutes), I enjoyed this slice of banana (?) bread with more coffee:

Pretty tasty, though I’m not 100% that it was banana. The spices dominated any fruit flavors.

Last week, I also had the world’s most random lunch:

Chips, salsa, and leftover curried orzo salad from Mendocino Farms (more on that tomorrow). Tt was surprisingly good but, yeah, weird.

Another lunch from last week, thanks to my favorite natural foods store:

Oh Rainbow, how right you usually are and how very, very wrong you were that day. The accoutrements flanking the burrito were delicious. I’m a little obsessed with both this Pop Chips flavor and the Hansen’s root beer. The burrito, however . . .

Was putrid. The tortilla was weirdly sticky, and everything inside tasted off…or just plain awful, really. Blech. How do you screw up black beans, Cheddar, cabbage, and carrot? I have no idea, but this thing was inedible. A coworker asked me if I was eating apple pie because it smelled so strange. I wish that I had been.

Have you eaten anything recently that didn’t taste as good as you hoped?

I thought about writing a post detailing the food I’m thinking of making for my upcoming reception/house-warming party.

I was even mulling a post about weddings and body image.

But then I saw the most horrifyingly disgusting thing ever to wander into my office and had the following exchange:

I apologize for the language, but can you blame me? The thing was three inches long, had scary wings, and I swear I saw him smoking a tiny cigar and twirling his mustache. Ew ew ew!

I’ll send some food action your way tomorrow, but today — today I can’t think about putting anything in my mouth. So how’s about I ask a question instead.

When you find an unwelcome disgusting vermin visitor in your home, what do you do? Kill it, release it outside, or pretend it isn’t there? I generally catch-and-release or put my fingers in my ears and go LA LA LA. However, I won’t lie: I hope this cockroach bites it. I just don’t want to be the person doing the slaughtering.

Yep, looks vommy, but tastes yummy. I promise. Pictured above is a slice of my vegan, cheese-free serving. You can also add the shredded stuff, which is how Mr. X likes it:

Ever-so-slightly more photogenic.

So here’s how you make it:

Mexican Lasagna

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, de-stemmed, seeded, de-veined, and chopped
• 1 container mushrooms, chopped
• 10 corn tortillas
• 1 14 oz can vegetarian refried beans or 1 can black or pinto beans, drained and mashed
• 1 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 1 jar salsa of choice (less watery is better)
• 1 cup shredded cheese OR 1/4 to 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and cook until it softens to desired consistency, about 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for another minute or two, until they reduce. If your veggies are taking too long to soften, you can add a pinch of salt to draw out the liquid. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a 9×13 baking dish, lay out your bottom layer of tortillas. I actually make this using two 8x8s, since I don’t have a bigger one. To make the bottom layer in my small dishes, I cut all the tortillas in half and use 2.5 in each. Just do it however it works best for you. On top of the tortillas, spread 1/2 the refried beans. You can heat them slightly if it helps, but I am too lazy to clean an extra dish. Now add 1/2 the green chiles, 1/2 the salsa, 1/2 the sauteed veggies, and 1/2 the optional cheese or nooch. Repeat starting with the rest of the tortillas and working your way up.

Put the lasagna(s) in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, until either the cheese melts or they’re heated through.

Serves 4ish as part of a larger meal. He eats it in two servings, and I make three out of mine.

This recipe, obviously, is very flexible. You could saute the veggies with garlic and onions (which I would do if that didn’t take extra time). You could add jalapenos or chopped chipotle peppers. You could ruin it by throwing in black olives — it’s all up to you. I can say we love this with blue corn tortillas, refried black beans, and Trader Joe’s Garlic Chipotle salsa. It’s warm, comforting, and filling, and it reheats nicely.

Embrace the ugly and give this recipe a try.

Speaking of the wedding, here’s a teaser pic from Thursday’s engagement shoot our photographer, Juan Turcios, emailed me:

Eeeeeek! I can’t wait to see the rest of them!

And, by virtue of the vows I shall utter in less than three week, I’m legally morally obligated to say the following: YAY GIANTS!

How did you spend the Super Bowl? Glued intently to the tube? Ignoring it completely? We watched the live stream online and ate chips and salsa. It was low-key and lovely.

We haven’t yet decided what to do for the game — shall we stay home and watch a pirated stream, go to a sports bar, invade a friend’s house . . . ? Unless we’re at a sports bar, I plan to whip up some goodies. Here’s a few ideas from the blogosphere that whet my appetite (and anything I don’t use might be recycled for my locals-only wedding reception/open house):

Peas and Thank You’s Black Bean and Roasted Corn Nacho Bites with Avocado Crema. These look incredible! All I need is a mini muffin tin.

Spabettie’s Quick Buffalo Dip looks perfect for a sports-themed party.

I am terribly intrigued by this Spicy Nori Popcorn Seasoning from Herbivoracious. We’re some popcorn-eating fiends over here.

And of course, something patriotic:

Lemon Berry Cake from Fragrant Vanilla Cake. So pretty, so fresh, so vegan, and so appropriate since it’s the red-white-and-blue Patriots taking on the red-white-and-blue Giants. As for my house, we worship the Giants. Amen.

What’s on your menu?

For the next 60 days, Molly and I will give up all traditional feminine Beauty Habits – including wearing any makeup, removing any body hair, altering our hair from its natural state (dying, curling, straightening), wearing uncomfortable feminine clothing (high heels, tight skirts), wearing jewelry (with the exception of wedding bands), painting our nails, using anti-wrinkle or anti-acne lotions, wearing deodorant, or styling or cutting our hair for reasons other than function.  We plan to blow dry our hair (because it’s the winter), brush our teeth, wear sunscreen, and dress appropriately – but comfortably – for the occasion.

Why?

Molly and I simply want to live in our own space of natural beauty and be more intentional in our actions.

I wanted to show my solidarity today by posting a picture of myself sans makeup and with my hair still wet. Here’s me at 8:15 yesterday morning:

While I didn’t heed Caitlin’s entire call — I am wearing my usual clothes, and I absentmindedly shaved my underarms this morning — in truth, going without makeup is the most difficult part of the routine to break, even though I really only wear concealer and mascara on a normal day. Mr. X can attest to the fact that I don’t exactly shave on a daily basis .

Is anyone else joining Caitlin and Molly in their experiment? How important are feminine grooming habits to you?

I tried years ago to eliminate a lot of the ones I think are truly sexist — shaving especially — but between new relationships and the work world, I’m pretty well settled back into my routine. While I don’t think it’s essential for me to quit using the razor or wearing uncomfortable shoes in order to be a true feminist, it is important to evaluate the reason we make the choices we do and be aware that they are, in fact, choices.

1. a. Cook dinner at home three days a week every week in January. I can claim success on this one! Both my wallet and my waistline thank me, though I need to keep pushing myself even harder.

1. b. Make something just for me. I am counting this week’s muffins as part of this goal, though I really do want to start crafting again. I need to get my stuff all set up.

2. a. Go to the Clippers/Thunder game on January 30. We went last night!

It was a really fun game, and as things in LA go, it was a pretty inexpensive date night that we’ll be doing again.

2. b. Register for a triathlon. I failed at this one, but I’m giving myself a pass. As much as I wanted to be in shape for a March 10 triathlon, I just wouldn’t be. So I’m setting my sights on finding another one. I really do want to tackle a tri in 2012!

3. a. Contact an animal charity about becoming a volunteer. I sent out inquiries over the weekend and am waiting to hear back.

3. b. Call a friend just to chat. I called a friend not once but twice just to chat! And you know what? I loved it. I need to keep remembering how nice it is to reconnect with people I love.

Now it’s time to plan for February! It’s going to be a busy month (hello wedding!), but here are my six goals:

1. a. Bring lunch from home four days a week every week in February.

1. b. Craft something — anything!

2. a. Use my 7-day YMCA pass and then join, if we want.

2. b. Check out a new-to-me music venue.

3. a. Volunteer for a day somewhere.

3. b. Call two friends just to chat.

It took months before it was my turn in the library queue, but I finally got my hands on a copy of Mama Pea‘s Peas and Thank You! I decided to tackle two of the recipes this week as a test drive. Behold breakfast:

Tea and a muffin. Before I get into the Pea biz, let’s talk about the tea. I made a quick Whole Foods run Sunday — my first since I moved to LA, believe it or not — and discovered that they had this delicious delight:

Celestial Seasonings‘ Nutcracker Sweet: “an irresistibly simple blend of fine black teas made more festive with creamy, nutty vanilla and just a pinch of cinnamon.” I was so excited to find this stuff!

Anyway, back to the food:

This little guy is a Blueberry Muffin with Streusel Topping from the aforementioned cookbook. It’s so cute and delicious!

As you can see, I didn’t go quite heavy enough on the streusel in an attempt to reduce the sugar and fat. If you do the same thing, I definitely recommend adding cinnamon to the batter. You can view the original recipe here, and below are the tweaks I made:

• I used white whole wheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry. I don’t really know what the difference is, to be honest.
• I subbed frozen bloobs for the fresh, and as a result followed the book’s instruction to add them to the muffin tin itself.
• As I mentioned, I made about 1/3 less of the streusel topping than the recipe called for. Don’t do that. I also used turbinado for all the sugar in the recipe and canola oil instead of Earth Balance. These choices were totally fine.

I absolutely love these muffins! They are filling, considering how small they are, and have the perfect level of sweetness. I’m excited to work my way through the batch this week.

My second reci-pea is the Spicy African Peanut Stew:

The original recipe is here, and my changes are below:

• I used freshly cooked chickpeas instead of canned. I swear I’ll never go back.
• I used 1 rounded teaspoon ground ginger instead of 1 tablespoon of fresh.
• I minced two massive garlic cloves and did not measure them.
• I omitted the sweetener because I forgot about it.
• Instead of 1 can light coconut milk (the store was out), I used half a can of full-fat and made up the difference with almond milk.

This stew is incredibly rich and delicious and full of fiber and protein. Plus, it was a great excuse to use my slow-cooker, which I love. I even used the general spice mix to make curry for Mr. X. Hopefully I can coerce him into sharing a picture this week.

Have you tried anything from this awesome cookbook? If so, what’s your favorite recipe? If not, what’s your go-to cookbook?