
Prescott Dells on the Peavine Trail
Several in our July Camp NaNo cabin had chosen large writing projects. We decided to continue the momentum in a FaceBook group. With the 25K words I wrote in July, I can easily finish this cozy spy romance by August 31st. Keys to success: no road trips (see July’s distraction in the photo to your left), an easy menu plan for the week, a cohort to cheer us on, and keeping my eye on the prize–a completed discovery draft by the end of the month.
A friend who wants to lower her cholesterol asked if there was a supplement you could take for it. I dropped 175 points by adopting a vegan diet. Not sure there’s a supplement that can beat that.
I gave her these meal ideas. It’ll make a good August menu for me too.
BREAKFAST
Fridge Oatmeal: 1/3 cup of oats, heaping tbsp ground flax seed, 1 tsp of chia seeds, cinnamon (I like ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom too). Add water. Put in fridge overnight. (I usually do three jars at a time.) Next morning add blueberries, banana, and pumpkin seeds (or walnuts). If it’s not sweet enough, add a tsp of maple syrup. Don’t worry about adding nut or soy milk. It makes its own milk.
Ezekiel English muffin with peanut butter or almond butter. With Fruit.
Toast with mashed avocado. With Fruit.
Instead of oatmeal, I make porridge with leftover rice or quinoa or barley. I add the fruit, nuts, spices as above.
LUNCH
Street tacos with Trader Joe’s canned refried pinto beans&salsa or seasoned jackfruit. Add mango salsa or vegan coleslaw or guacamole or sautéed mushrooms or onions and peppers.
Hummus with veggies
Pita sandwich stuffed with baba ghanoush (or hummus), kosher pickle and salad
A big ole bean burrito with veggies, rice and mushrooms. Usually topped with my favorite salsa. Tomatillo is good.

Neal’s Happy Bento Box
DINNER
Spaghetti with marinara sauce. I can add mushroom, spinach and or veggies to the sauce. I like angel hair pasta and many of the bean pastas.
Buddha Bowl: half cup of mung beans or lentils, 3/4 cup of a grain, add veggies, raw and cooked and top with a vegan dressing. I make a good/easy peanut dressing or a beet/basil/citrus dressing
Vegan chili in a baked potato with a salad
Bento Box: (see photo to your right) veggie patty topped with mustard/sauerkraut or olive tapenade or peppers or salsa. Then I fill the bento box with fun stuff like stuffed grape leaves, roasted potatoes, pickled beets, marinated potato salad, veggies with a vegan dip, pinwheels done with an Ezekiel tortilla and vegan cream cheese and green olives, etc.
Make vegan lasagna with cashew sauce instead of cheese and thinly sliced squash instead of lasagna noodles. Use diced and sautéd eggplant rather than ground meat.
Pinterest is a good place to find vegan recipes.
What are your plans (working, traveling, eating or otherwise) for August? I’d love to hear about it!
Happy writing and eating,
Michelle Knowlden