The show Scandal has been compared to West Wing and even Fox’s newbie Empire, but there is no show on television as captivating as Shonda Rhime’s hit about the fixer of all fixers “the formidable Olivia Pope.” Shonda Rhimes and Kerry Washington inspire me so much that I have decided to take what they do (inspiration by entertainment) and apply it to what I do (inspiration by blogging). Since this is a blog based on my experiences, love and devotion to a healthier lifestyle, let’s start out with that and then move on to my SCANDALous Thoughts for the week (scroll to the bottom if you just want to see my SCANDALous Thoughts).

Last night, while locked in her cell (sigh), Liv feasted on a dish that looked like it was mixed with overdone rice and some sort of meat-like substance. Honestly, it looked like chitterlings to me – or as my family would say – "chitlins." I haven’t had pork since high school, but if you are in the mood for pork during your transition to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, what do you do?

Morningstar should be familiar with Scandal because they had a little one of their own when consumers found out that GMOs were placed in their beloved meat substitutes over a decade ago. Nonetheless, I’ve never tasted a veggie sausage patty that tastes better than theirs, so just this once, I’m going to recommend it in order to cure your gimme-pork-sausage-or-give-me-death craving. Also, if you used to eat chitlins, then a veggie patty that may or may not contain GMOs won't kill you. Right? It's all a transition. Eventually, you'll get to the point where you won't need a substitute for meat, but until then. . . 



1.       Simply heat one or two maple sausage patties in your microwave or on the stove top.

2.       Grab brown rice and cook it as directed in 1 part veggie broth and 1 part water on the stove. This makes the rice more flavorful and if cooked longer will give it a gooey texture akin to chitterlings.

3.       In a separate sauce pan steam mixed veggies for color and nutrients. An inexpensive frozen mixed bag will do.

4.       Cut the sausage patties in bite sized pieces (or pulse them in your blender or food processor if desired) then mix the brown rice and mixed veggies in with the sausage patties.

5.       Add any seasoning you want to the mix. The sausage patties have a sweet and peppery taste to them. You do not need salt because the veggie patties have plenty. You may want to add dry garlic or basil to the dish for a hearty feel or hot pepper flakes for heat. This will give you heat from the flakes and sweet from the sausage. . .definitely my favorite combination.

6.       “Boom…goes the dynamite” - there’s your quick, inexpensive, healthy (but watch the sodium in those patties), meatless, colorful version of what Olivia ate in her cell. I hope you enjoy this version way better than she enjoyed hers. 




Now, back to the SCANDALOUS Thoughts:

1.       Girl, you coverin’ the toilet? But the whole bathroom is. . .oh never mind!

2.       Are those bare feet? Geesus be a flip-flop.

3.       Once again, were they eatin’ chitlins in the cell? I need answers.

4.       Papa Pope said that she would miss him when he was gone. Did he lie?

5.       Why do I turn the TV up super loud when I’m watching this show? Like an old lady…like I can’t hear.

6.       This episode scared the crap outta me. So intense.

7.       “There is no man to come and save you. You are the only gladiator in the place, you have to rescue yourself!” –Abby || Come thru Abby, come thrrrru!

8.       As much as I hate to admit it, I am starting to see Liv with Jake over Fitz. NEVER thought I’d say that but the whole jam and walking the dog thing in heels was whhhhack!

9.       At the end of the day, this show is about a conflicted, strong, smart and beautiful woman that will always come through for herself but until then…#SaveOlivia!!! Nooooow!

10.   This episode was SO intense and some of Kerry’s best work. Bravo! I’m definitely excited to see more next week. Her acting is so subtle and skilled. Not everyone could have pulled those scenes off like she did last night. The wardrobe, the shift in her mindset while in the cell, the hallucinations…all of that was on point. Way to go Shonda, writers and directors! #Gladiators

11.   If you came over from Facebook, thanks for visiting my blog and reading this far. Anticipate a weekly entry moving forward because both tasty vegan/vegetarian dishes and Scandal are very important to me. See you next week! Let me know if you cook the dish and what your thoughts are. :-)

A co-worker expressed to me that he is gaining weight and is feeling depressed. Haven't we all been there before? Luckily, I was able to give him a few tips, show him my weight loss pictures and provide encouragement. 

Surely, I’m not where I want to be, but I’m certainly not where I used to be. Don’t get caught up on the theory of perfection. YOU have something to contribute. Even if you've made a ton of mistakes, you can lift someone else up! Today, help someone that may be struggling to protect their most valuable asset – their health.

The best tips I have ever heard are to replace sodas/juice with water, replace your snacks with fruit/veggies and to use walking as your exercise. These things don’t require a gym, a medical degree or tons of money. These things just require a shift in your mindset and if you have already experienced the shift, pass it on. 

Exercise is not my favorite, so I love to find quick, fun workouts that will get me to sweat. Honestly, I will sweat at the drop of a hat, so that’s not too hard to achieve. But the fun part, that’s more of a challenge! Tiffany Rothe is one of my favorites and she always finds a way to inspire us by keeping it relevant and fool proof. Most of her workouts are only 10 minutes long (and you definitely have 10 minutes)! Tiffany is also tried and true. The woman bounced back from giving birth in record time. She provides amazing advice concerning exercise AND she encourages her subbies to embrace their femininity and sexuality (check out the Nicki Minhaj inspired video in the middle). So, on that note…grab a towel from the linen closet, some water from the fridge and make sure your internet connection is up to snuff, because it’s about to get sweaty, funky and fun! 

Diets suck, so don't do that! I know it seems like it will work, but they never do in the long run. What you need is a mental shift and that's why I'm here, to aid with that shift. In 2015 I vow to help you opt for sanity and make incremental changes that will greatly effect your bottom line (pun intended).

1.       Dip Baby Dip: Switch up the snacks. Instead of chips and dip, try a small amount of baked pita chips and a large amount of veggies like broccoli, carrots, celery and/or cauliflower and dip them in salsa or hummus. Lots of snacks have hidden chemicals that act as preservatives which allow supermarkets to keep them on the shelves longer. Don't fall for it!

2.       Juicy Fruit: I wholeheartedly believe in dessert, but because I have a crazy sweet tooth, my dessert is fruit. If I ate cake or cookies every time I wanted something sweet, you would have to grease the sides of my body to get me out of the house. Is your sweet tooth like mine? Try switching to fruit as dessert! Bananas/apples and peanut butter/vanilla almond butter, medjool dates, sweet grapes...all of these are satisfying and taste delicious, especially if they are organic. 

3.       Pour It Up, Pour It Up: I know you've heard it before, but it's true. Reach for water instead of sodas or store bought fruit juices. Once you begin to phase out added unnatural sugars, your tummy will flatten and your body will begin to crave more of the good and less of the chemically altered. You WILL crave kale at some point…trust me!

4.       Walk It Out: You have to move in order to get the most from your digestive system. The more you move, the more you can release. I’ll just leave that right there!

5.       Mean Green: When all else fails, eat a salad. You’ll get what you need from a large salad full of leafy greens, beans and colorful veggies. Add a dressing of lemon, vinegar, your favorite oil (mine is sesame), garlic, onions, spices, etc. To “beef” up your salads, add quinoa and your stomach will thank you. Before you know it, you'll be able to say peace out to animal protein altogether!

Take it slow but stay diligent and before you know it, your body will outwardly thank you by weight release, lower cholesterol , clearer skin and better sleep. I'm ready if you are!