Week 4
Sunday night I made this delicious chicken salad!! I didn't have avacado oil, almonds or brown mustard, so I subbed olive oil, walnuts and dijon mustard. Still delicious combination!!
It made a ton, so I basically ate it over baby spinach for lunch for 4 days. It was seriously that good! The only thing is that my Brussels sprouts turned red - weird. I guess it was the vinegar in the dressing . . .
I'm trying to get back on track with eating primally after a weekend of eating the conventional American diet. It's hard . . . I lost that 1.5 pounds I had gained over the weekend pretty quickly, but I don't think I've lost any more. I'll weigh again on Monday to see my progress.
I have noticed that after eating poorly even for a couple days that I'm hungrier and craving more sugar than I had before the poor eating days. It's now Thursday and I think I'm back on track eating wise . . . I'm really trying to focus on eating lots of fresh veggies and not as much nuts/nut butter/fruit to help my body get what it needs.
But I confess that I still look forward to my "cheat" meals. I'm already planning the next one for this weekend! I'm thinking a Freebirds steak burrito!! :-)
A couple yummy recipes from the week:
BBQ Chicken
Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Soup (I love anaheim peppers, so I used those instead of poblanos)
Paleo "Cornbread"
My (conventional diet) husband and daughter LOVED the above 3! :-)
Paleo "Nutella"
40 Clove Garlic Baked Chicken
Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin
Chicken Fajitas marinated in Chimichurri Sauce
Roasted Lemon Cabbage
Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
Adapted from skinnytaste.com
3 large egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. stevia (to taste)
1 T. honey
1/2 bar of dark chocolate, cut into small chunks
Heat oven to 275 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Slowly add in stevia and honey until the mixture is glossy. Fold in chocolate chips.
Scoop tablespoon sized balls onto baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until tops are dry. Cool completely and store in parchment paper wrapped in foil.
Adapted from skinnytaste.com
3 large egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. stevia (to taste)
1 T. honey
1/2 bar of dark chocolate, cut into small chunks
Heat oven to 275 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Slowly add in stevia and honey until the mixture is glossy. Fold in chocolate chips.
Scoop tablespoon sized balls onto baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until tops are dry. Cool completely and store in parchment paper wrapped in foil.
BBQ Chicken Rub
BBQ Chicken Rub
1 T. brown sugar**
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
1.5 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
Mix all together and rub on up to 3 pounds of chicken. Cook your favorite way - grill, skillet, oven!
**Brown sugar is not primal, so omit if you prefer. But it gives the chicken a nice glaze when it's cooked.
1 T. brown sugar**
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
1.5 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
Mix all together and rub on up to 3 pounds of chicken. Cook your favorite way - grill, skillet, oven!
**Brown sugar is not primal, so omit if you prefer. But it gives the chicken a nice glaze when it's cooked.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri Sauce
from Food Network's Sunny Anderson
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 to 2 cloves garlic
1 large red onion, halved and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chuck or top round steak (London broil)
3 poblano peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1/4 cup lager beer
8 8-inch flour tortillas
Lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Combine the parsley and cilantro (leaves and stems), garlic, half of the sliced onion, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor; blend into a thick and smooth chimichurri sauce.
from Food Network's Sunny Anderson
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 to 2 cloves garlic
1 large red onion, halved and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chuck or top round steak (London broil)
3 poblano peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1/4 cup lager beer
8 8-inch flour tortillas
Lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Combine the parsley and cilantro (leaves and stems), garlic, half of the sliced onion, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor; blend into a thick and smooth chimichurri sauce.
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
1 bunch Lemon Thyme
1 bunch Fresh Rosemary
1 Chicken, Whole
1 Shallot, minced
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil, Organic
3 head Garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled
1 tsp Salt and Pepper
1. Preheat oven to roast at 350°F.
2. Cut chicken into eight pieces (2 wings, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 breasts).
3. Heat a skillet to medium heat with 1 tablespoon coconut oil.
4. Sear chicken on all sides, set aside in a large mixing bowl.
5. Sauté garlic in coconut oil until the skin of the garlic begins to soften and brown slightly.
6. Place half of the garlic on the bottom of a Dutch oven.
7. Place the chicken on top of the garlic.
8. Cover with the remainder of the garlic, pour in the juices from the bowl, and top with rosemary, thyme, shallot, salt, and pepper.
9. Cover with a lid, and roast at 350°F for 1- 1 1/2 hours until pieces are 160 degrees and juices run clear.
1 bunch Lemon Thyme
1 bunch Fresh Rosemary
1 Chicken, Whole
1 Shallot, minced
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil, Organic
3 head Garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled
1 tsp Salt and Pepper
1. Preheat oven to roast at 350°F.
2. Cut chicken into eight pieces (2 wings, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 breasts).
3. Heat a skillet to medium heat with 1 tablespoon coconut oil.
4. Sear chicken on all sides, set aside in a large mixing bowl.
5. Sauté garlic in coconut oil until the skin of the garlic begins to soften and brown slightly.
6. Place half of the garlic on the bottom of a Dutch oven.
7. Place the chicken on top of the garlic.
8. Cover with the remainder of the garlic, pour in the juices from the bowl, and top with rosemary, thyme, shallot, salt, and pepper.
9. Cover with a lid, and roast at 350°F for 1- 1 1/2 hours until pieces are 160 degrees and juices run clear.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
End of Week 3
The weekend of Week 3 was awful. We were swamped with garage sale-ing and so I ate a lot of stuff I don't normally eat any longer - tacos, fajitas, beans and rice, pizza and a hamburger. I think I gained back 1.5 pounds just over the weekend. And I felt awful!! I don't know if it was a couple days of not eating well or a couple days of irregular sleep . . . probably both. But it took me a couple days to recover from the weekend! Ugh!
Lesson learned - even when you're busy - take time to make/eat good food or else you'll feel rotten for a couple days!
Lesson learned - even when you're busy - take time to make/eat good food or else you'll feel rotten for a couple days!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Week 3
I haven't blogged in a while because I've been very busy with projects!! My business finished it's first commercial order (yay!) and I was working hard sewing bags for the store. Also, it's spring break and we're doing a garage sale to raise funds for our adoption! Talk about busy!! Ugh! I actually hate garage sales, but we've gotten donations from all kinds of families so it should be a good profit for us!
Food wise - I've been pretty good. I had 2 cheat meals and I confess that I really look forward to those! I'm already looking forward to the next one this weekend! I hope that one day I won't be so excited about those cheat meals, but right now I still am.
I had a couple recipe fails this week . . . boo. But I'll keep trying until I figure it out. I made apple fritters and I didn't get the oil hot enough so they weren't crispy. Flavor was good, but the crispness I was after just wasn't there. Also, I tried cauliflower crust pizza - again flavor was there, but I should have baked the crust before I put on toppings. I'll do that next time.
But all in all, it's been good. I've lost 4 pounds in 2.5 weeks. Yay! I haven't had a migraine - let alone a headache - since the first week. My skin is clearer, I have energy, I'm feeling good! :-)
Food wise - I've been pretty good. I had 2 cheat meals and I confess that I really look forward to those! I'm already looking forward to the next one this weekend! I hope that one day I won't be so excited about those cheat meals, but right now I still am.
I had a couple recipe fails this week . . . boo. But I'll keep trying until I figure it out. I made apple fritters and I didn't get the oil hot enough so they weren't crispy. Flavor was good, but the crispness I was after just wasn't there. Also, I tried cauliflower crust pizza - again flavor was there, but I should have baked the crust before I put on toppings. I'll do that next time.
But all in all, it's been good. I've lost 4 pounds in 2.5 weeks. Yay! I haven't had a migraine - let alone a headache - since the first week. My skin is clearer, I have energy, I'm feeling good! :-)
Week 2 Day 5
Friday
I woke up ravenous and feeling like I had low blood sugar after eating Chick-Fil-A nuggets and 2 cookies last night. Pretty yucky. I had to drink a protein shake first thing to get moving. I usually can wait an hour to eat breakfast because I'm not that hungry right when I wake up. But not today!!
I am definitely feeling like I am waking up easier in the mornings. They said it would happen, but I have to see it to believe it. I have always struggled to get out of bed in the mornings because it takes me a while to get going after I wake up. I annoy my husband to death when I have to get up before him because I'll snooze my alarm for 15-20 minutes before I actually get out of bed. He's such a light sleeper that he wakes up the second I move and can't go back to sleep. Hopefully, this is changing now for me. I feel more alert when my alarm goes off and I'm getting out of bed about 5 minutes earlier than usual. I feel like that's a step in the right direction!
When I got to school, I added a hard-boiled egg, coffee and a banana to my breakfast.
Friday's my department goes out to lunch. Today it's Jason's Deli and I had the salad bar with broccoli cheese soup - lots of mixed greens and spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, bell pepper with sunflower seeds and ranch dressing. (Yes, I'm a ranch fan . . . ). I also ate a hard boiled egg for some extra protein.
Even after eating the yucky food last night, I still feel thinner than I did 2 weeks ago. I won't officially weigh in until Monday, but I know that my body is burning the fat that it's been storing! Yay! I have been tracking my calories and carb intake for the last couple days and I have discovered that I need to focus on eating more of the non-starchy vegetables and fruits. I think that will make the weight loss quicker even though I'm still losing pretty quickly. So next week, I'll try to focus on eating more broccoli, spinach, green beans, bell peppers, apples, clementines, mango, etc.
I made it through a night out with a late dinner. Yay! I was judging a cheer tryout and they usually provide snacks while we're judging. Unfortunately, all they had for us was Diet Coke, Coke, Oreos and Cheese-Its. Ugh - luckily I brought some red peppers to snack on so I wasn't tempted by the junk food. I bought a bottle of water to drink also. When I got home I ate some beef stew to fill me up.
I woke up ravenous and feeling like I had low blood sugar after eating Chick-Fil-A nuggets and 2 cookies last night. Pretty yucky. I had to drink a protein shake first thing to get moving. I usually can wait an hour to eat breakfast because I'm not that hungry right when I wake up. But not today!!
I am definitely feeling like I am waking up easier in the mornings. They said it would happen, but I have to see it to believe it. I have always struggled to get out of bed in the mornings because it takes me a while to get going after I wake up. I annoy my husband to death when I have to get up before him because I'll snooze my alarm for 15-20 minutes before I actually get out of bed. He's such a light sleeper that he wakes up the second I move and can't go back to sleep. Hopefully, this is changing now for me. I feel more alert when my alarm goes off and I'm getting out of bed about 5 minutes earlier than usual. I feel like that's a step in the right direction!
When I got to school, I added a hard-boiled egg, coffee and a banana to my breakfast.
Friday's my department goes out to lunch. Today it's Jason's Deli and I had the salad bar with broccoli cheese soup - lots of mixed greens and spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, bell pepper with sunflower seeds and ranch dressing. (Yes, I'm a ranch fan . . . ). I also ate a hard boiled egg for some extra protein.
Even after eating the yucky food last night, I still feel thinner than I did 2 weeks ago. I won't officially weigh in until Monday, but I know that my body is burning the fat that it's been storing! Yay! I have been tracking my calories and carb intake for the last couple days and I have discovered that I need to focus on eating more of the non-starchy vegetables and fruits. I think that will make the weight loss quicker even though I'm still losing pretty quickly. So next week, I'll try to focus on eating more broccoli, spinach, green beans, bell peppers, apples, clementines, mango, etc.
I made it through a night out with a late dinner. Yay! I was judging a cheer tryout and they usually provide snacks while we're judging. Unfortunately, all they had for us was Diet Coke, Coke, Oreos and Cheese-Its. Ugh - luckily I brought some red peppers to snack on so I wasn't tempted by the junk food. I bought a bottle of water to drink also. When I got home I ate some beef stew to fill me up.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Week 2 Day 4
Thursday
Breakfast today was my coffee and this yummy Sausage/Egg/Kale/Sweet Potato Bake. I made it last night, but it reheated beautifully this morning. The sweet potatoes were a bit sweet for my taste, so I might reduce the amount of those I add next time I make this. Or maybe I'll add some more spices like cumin, chili powder or garlic powder. But overall it was really good!
I wanted to eat a banana for a snack, but I got busy and forgot about it. So I guess I wasn't really that hungry!
Lunch was my banana, the last of the leftover lettuce wrapped tacos and guac/plantain chips. Delicious!!
For a snack, I had the sweet potatoes and apples. I wasn't super hungry, but I went ahead and ate it anyway because I knew I was going to be out late without a whole lot of good options for dinner. So I was rather full after I ate the snack, but it did tide me over for a while. . .
Unfortunately, I couldn't resist the Chick-Fil-A nuggets and cookies for dinner. I was judging a cheer tryout and they served us some Chick-Fil-A. I started off fairly good by only eating 4 nuggets and a large serving of fruit. But I got hungry later on and ate 4 more nuggets and 2 chocolate chip cookies. Boo . . . just couldn't resist. I guess I felt rude by not eating what was offered, but I probably could have just eaten fruit and been content. But, my willpower broke down and I ate the stuff I wasn't planning on eating. Oh well, I guess I'll have to be more prepared for next time. Or perhaps I can just cut myself some slack and count it as my 20%.
I was full for the rest of the evening, so I didn't need to eat any dessert before bed.
Breakfast today was my coffee and this yummy Sausage/Egg/Kale/Sweet Potato Bake. I made it last night, but it reheated beautifully this morning. The sweet potatoes were a bit sweet for my taste, so I might reduce the amount of those I add next time I make this. Or maybe I'll add some more spices like cumin, chili powder or garlic powder. But overall it was really good!
I wanted to eat a banana for a snack, but I got busy and forgot about it. So I guess I wasn't really that hungry!
Lunch was my banana, the last of the leftover lettuce wrapped tacos and guac/plantain chips. Delicious!!
For a snack, I had the sweet potatoes and apples. I wasn't super hungry, but I went ahead and ate it anyway because I knew I was going to be out late without a whole lot of good options for dinner. So I was rather full after I ate the snack, but it did tide me over for a while. . .
Unfortunately, I couldn't resist the Chick-Fil-A nuggets and cookies for dinner. I was judging a cheer tryout and they served us some Chick-Fil-A. I started off fairly good by only eating 4 nuggets and a large serving of fruit. But I got hungry later on and ate 4 more nuggets and 2 chocolate chip cookies. Boo . . . just couldn't resist. I guess I felt rude by not eating what was offered, but I probably could have just eaten fruit and been content. But, my willpower broke down and I ate the stuff I wasn't planning on eating. Oh well, I guess I'll have to be more prepared for next time. Or perhaps I can just cut myself some slack and count it as my 20%.
I was full for the rest of the evening, so I didn't need to eat any dessert before bed.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Week 2 Day 3
Wednesday
Is it really only Wednesday? This week has already gone by so slowly - I guess that's what happens the week before spring break!!
I forgot to bring my hard boiled egg to school to eat this morning for breakfast, so I ate 2 cinnamon muffins (the last ones!!!). I am definitely too full!! One is not quite enough, but 2 is definitely too much! I guess I could have eaten 1.5, but I wasn't thinking about that while I was eating. Next time I will. . .
Lunch is leftover lettuce wrapped tacos. Definitely messier than tortilla wrapped tacos, but just as satisfying!
Dinner was scrambled eggs, honey roasted carrots and coconut flour waffles. This recipe includes chicken and waffles, but I just did the waffles and left the chili powder out of the batter. I've kind of been surprised at how good the dishes are when I bake with coconut flour and almond flour. I kind of expected things to taste REALLY different, but it really hasn't. The waffles, in particular, tasted very much like a wheat flour waffle, but they weren't crispy and were a little more dry. Next time I might try to add some coconut oil or butter into the batter to make them more moist. But, overall they were really tasty! My daughter even gobbled it up! And 1 waffle was really filling!
I did eat a lot of carbs today, so I skipped dessert. I would really have liked to eat something like fruit, but I didn't NEED to eat so I was able to pass. Yay!
All in all, I've lost 2.5 pounds in 1.5 weeks. I think it's a great start!
Is it really only Wednesday? This week has already gone by so slowly - I guess that's what happens the week before spring break!!
I forgot to bring my hard boiled egg to school to eat this morning for breakfast, so I ate 2 cinnamon muffins (the last ones!!!). I am definitely too full!! One is not quite enough, but 2 is definitely too much! I guess I could have eaten 1.5, but I wasn't thinking about that while I was eating. Next time I will. . .
Lunch is leftover lettuce wrapped tacos. Definitely messier than tortilla wrapped tacos, but just as satisfying!
Dinner was scrambled eggs, honey roasted carrots and coconut flour waffles. This recipe includes chicken and waffles, but I just did the waffles and left the chili powder out of the batter. I've kind of been surprised at how good the dishes are when I bake with coconut flour and almond flour. I kind of expected things to taste REALLY different, but it really hasn't. The waffles, in particular, tasted very much like a wheat flour waffle, but they weren't crispy and were a little more dry. Next time I might try to add some coconut oil or butter into the batter to make them more moist. But, overall they were really tasty! My daughter even gobbled it up! And 1 waffle was really filling!
I did eat a lot of carbs today, so I skipped dessert. I would really have liked to eat something like fruit, but I didn't NEED to eat so I was able to pass. Yay!
All in all, I've lost 2.5 pounds in 1.5 weeks. I think it's a great start!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Lettuce Wrapped Beef Tacos
Lettuce Wrapped Beef Tacos
1 pound ground beef
1 c. diced onion (optional)
1-2 T. Taco Seasoning
Iceberg lettuce
Toppings:
cilantro
tomato
salsa/pico de gallo
guacamole
shredded cheese
sour cream
Taco Seasoning
1 T. chili powder
1.5 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or cayenne if you want more heat)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Mix all the spices together and set aside.
Brown beef (and onion if using) in a 12" skillet until no longer pink. Drain fat and return to skillet. Add 1-2 T. taco seasoning (to taste) and 1/2 c water. Cook until the water reduces to just a couple tablespoons. Serve on iceberg lettuce leaves and your choice of toppings!
1 pound ground beef
1 c. diced onion (optional)
1-2 T. Taco Seasoning
Iceberg lettuce
Toppings:
cilantro
tomato
salsa/pico de gallo
guacamole
shredded cheese
sour cream
Taco Seasoning
1 T. chili powder
1.5 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or cayenne if you want more heat)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Mix all the spices together and set aside.
Brown beef (and onion if using) in a 12" skillet until no longer pink. Drain fat and return to skillet. Add 1-2 T. taco seasoning (to taste) and 1/2 c water. Cook until the water reduces to just a couple tablespoons. Serve on iceberg lettuce leaves and your choice of toppings!
Week 2 Day 2
Tuesday
This week is definitely harder . . . I was out right before lunch and I was so tempted to pick up a fish taco from this really delicious place - but I couldn't just get the fish taco. I'd have to get chips and queso also . . . but again I resisted! Thank you God for giving me the strength to say no to stuff that isn't primal and yes to stuff that is!!
Breakfast was a hard-boiled egg, a cinnamon muffin and coffee. I'm still really loving those cinnamon muffins! Still delicious!!
My mid- morning snack was 2 small clementines. I had burned my tongue on the stew last night, so I could really taste the tartness of those cuties!!
Lunch was leftover beef stew and salsa with plantain chips! The salsa and plantain chips totally satisfied my craving for chips and queso, so I'm happy now!
I was hungry about 3:00, so I ate my spinach salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar and a square of dark chocolate.
It's funny, Brian mentioned to me last night that I was cutting out bread, but adding starches via some potatoes and sweet potatoes. That kind of got me worried that I am eating too many carbs to produce weight loss. The folks at marksdailyapple.com recommend a carb intake of less than 100 grams/day for weight loss. (Click here for details). So I calculated it up . . . And even with all the potatoes I ate yesterday, I was still at 110 grams of carbs. I think it's a good spot to be in. Can I go fewer carbs? Obviously yes, but I'm still in a good spot for weight loss.
Dinner was homemade lettuce wrapped beef tacos. I put sour cream and cheese on mine - I kind of over-seasoned the taco filling so it helped to have the dairy cut the richness of the filling! I finished it off with some homemade guac and the last of our tortilla chips. From here on out, it will be plantain chips instead of tortilla chips! Just as delicious and primal! :-)
I was hungry after dinner, so I made myself a chocolate protein shake for dessert. The only problem is that the lid wasn't secured on my shaker container and it spewed all over my kitchen!! Ugh! But it made me get the mop out to clean my floor! Ha!
I have been pretty tired lately - I'm attributing it to the stress of our adoption and all the stuff we're having to think about because of that. I guess it could be the "low-carb flu," but I honestly don't really think so. But I guess I'll never know for sure!!
Either way, I'm trying to get more sleep and rest when I need rest.
This week is definitely harder . . . I was out right before lunch and I was so tempted to pick up a fish taco from this really delicious place - but I couldn't just get the fish taco. I'd have to get chips and queso also . . . but again I resisted! Thank you God for giving me the strength to say no to stuff that isn't primal and yes to stuff that is!!
Breakfast was a hard-boiled egg, a cinnamon muffin and coffee. I'm still really loving those cinnamon muffins! Still delicious!!
My mid- morning snack was 2 small clementines. I had burned my tongue on the stew last night, so I could really taste the tartness of those cuties!!
Lunch was leftover beef stew and salsa with plantain chips! The salsa and plantain chips totally satisfied my craving for chips and queso, so I'm happy now!
I was hungry about 3:00, so I ate my spinach salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar and a square of dark chocolate.
It's funny, Brian mentioned to me last night that I was cutting out bread, but adding starches via some potatoes and sweet potatoes. That kind of got me worried that I am eating too many carbs to produce weight loss. The folks at marksdailyapple.com recommend a carb intake of less than 100 grams/day for weight loss. (Click here for details). So I calculated it up . . . And even with all the potatoes I ate yesterday, I was still at 110 grams of carbs. I think it's a good spot to be in. Can I go fewer carbs? Obviously yes, but I'm still in a good spot for weight loss.
Dinner was homemade lettuce wrapped beef tacos. I put sour cream and cheese on mine - I kind of over-seasoned the taco filling so it helped to have the dairy cut the richness of the filling! I finished it off with some homemade guac and the last of our tortilla chips. From here on out, it will be plantain chips instead of tortilla chips! Just as delicious and primal! :-)
I was hungry after dinner, so I made myself a chocolate protein shake for dessert. The only problem is that the lid wasn't secured on my shaker container and it spewed all over my kitchen!! Ugh! But it made me get the mop out to clean my floor! Ha!
I have been pretty tired lately - I'm attributing it to the stress of our adoption and all the stuff we're having to think about because of that. I guess it could be the "low-carb flu," but I honestly don't really think so. But I guess I'll never know for sure!!
Either way, I'm trying to get more sleep and rest when I need rest.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Sweet Potatoes, Apples and Pecans
Sweet Potatoes, Apples and Pecans
3-4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks**
3-4 granny smith apples, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1/2 c. chopped pecans
4 T. butter
2 T. honey
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350. Arrange sweet potatoes and apples on the bottom of a large baking dish. Sprinkle pecans on top.
Melt butter in a small bowl, add honey, lemon juice and cinnamon. Stir to combine and our over the baking dish. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
**The sweet potato chunks should be smaller than the apples because they take longer to cook.
3-4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks**
3-4 granny smith apples, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1/2 c. chopped pecans
4 T. butter
2 T. honey
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350. Arrange sweet potatoes and apples on the bottom of a large baking dish. Sprinkle pecans on top.
Melt butter in a small bowl, add honey, lemon juice and cinnamon. Stir to combine and our over the baking dish. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
**The sweet potato chunks should be smaller than the apples because they take longer to cook.
Beef Stew
Beef Stew
2 lbs. top round steak, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1/2"-1" cubes
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
dash allspice or cloves
1-2 bay leaves
4-5 cups water
1 c. burgundy (optional)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
4-6 carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
2-3 handfuls green beans, snapped into bite sized pieces
Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the beef, onion, garlic and spices and braise until beef is no longer pink. Add water (and wine if using), bring to a simmer and cook for 1.5 hours.
Add vegetables (you can substitute your favorite vegetables), cook for an additional 30-45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Taste and adjust seasoning! I used to serve this with cornbread, but I haven't tried a Primal "cornbread" yet.
2 lbs. top round steak, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1/2"-1" cubes
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
dash allspice or cloves
1-2 bay leaves
4-5 cups water
1 c. burgundy (optional)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
4-6 carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
2-3 handfuls green beans, snapped into bite sized pieces
Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the beef, onion, garlic and spices and braise until beef is no longer pink. Add water (and wine if using), bring to a simmer and cook for 1.5 hours.
Add vegetables (you can substitute your favorite vegetables), cook for an additional 30-45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Taste and adjust seasoning! I used to serve this with cornbread, but I haven't tried a Primal "cornbread" yet.
Week 2 Day 1
Monday
I'm down 2 pounds from last Monday! Yay! On Friday, my husband played a very mean trick on me. I was weighing myself and he slipped in behind me to put his foot on the scale. I was barely awake and could not process how I suddenly got to 175 pounds. He, of course, was dying laughing, but I was pretty shaken up for a while.
I was not at all hungry when I woke up this morning, so I had a small cup of coffee and a cinnamon muffin. That's it - I didn't want anything else!
Mid-morning I had some strawberries and blackberries, but I was definitely ready for lunch when the time came.
Lunch was the last of the leftover fish (I usually don't do leftover fish, but it was just as good today as yesterday!) with some roasted zucchini/carrots and brussels sprouts with bacon. Delicious and just enough food for a meal!
But I was definitely hungry 2 hours later, so I had an apple with about 1 T. peanut butter. I know that PB is not exactly the best primal food I can eat, but we need to use up what we have . . . so I ate it. I did walk into the teachers lounge where there were loads of chips and candy leftover from this morning. Today is a testing day, so the school provides all kinds of goodies for us to eat. I was seriously looking at a bag of Sunchips, but I put it down and went to eat my apple. So, maybe my apple with PB wasn't the best choice I could make, but it was certainly better than Sunchips! :-)
Today was definitely harder to stay on track . . . After my snack I was doing pretty well, but a friend had some Starburst candies that looked pretty good to eat!! But I resisted! Whew!
Dinner was beef stew - with lots of vegetables. The recipe calls for just potatoes, onion and carrots, but I also added celery and green beans. Yum! This was my dad's favorite dinner that my mom made growing up. One day, while it was cooking, he snuck into the kitchen and poured a couple cups of burgundy into the pot without my mom's knowledge. When we were eating it that night, she commented that it was the best she's ever made it! Dad and I were cracking up!! :-)
I also made sweet potatoes and apples as a side dish for dinner. This is a dish that we usually eat at Thanksgiving, but I've altered it a bit to make it primal and so I can have a bit of sweetness when I'm craving it!
I finished off the night with 3 small squares of dark chocolate! But that was HARD - my husband won an ice cream cake yesterday - mint chocolate chip with chocolate cake - my favorite!! I struggled with whether or not I wanted to break my primal day by eating that cake or if I was going to stick to it!! Luckily, after a good dinner finished off with the sweet potatoes, I wasn't craving sweet. But I still had a bit of the munchies, so I settled with my dark chocolate and I was satisfied! Another crisis averted! Whew!
I'm down 2 pounds from last Monday! Yay! On Friday, my husband played a very mean trick on me. I was weighing myself and he slipped in behind me to put his foot on the scale. I was barely awake and could not process how I suddenly got to 175 pounds. He, of course, was dying laughing, but I was pretty shaken up for a while.
I was not at all hungry when I woke up this morning, so I had a small cup of coffee and a cinnamon muffin. That's it - I didn't want anything else!
Mid-morning I had some strawberries and blackberries, but I was definitely ready for lunch when the time came.
Lunch was the last of the leftover fish (I usually don't do leftover fish, but it was just as good today as yesterday!) with some roasted zucchini/carrots and brussels sprouts with bacon. Delicious and just enough food for a meal!
But I was definitely hungry 2 hours later, so I had an apple with about 1 T. peanut butter. I know that PB is not exactly the best primal food I can eat, but we need to use up what we have . . . so I ate it. I did walk into the teachers lounge where there were loads of chips and candy leftover from this morning. Today is a testing day, so the school provides all kinds of goodies for us to eat. I was seriously looking at a bag of Sunchips, but I put it down and went to eat my apple. So, maybe my apple with PB wasn't the best choice I could make, but it was certainly better than Sunchips! :-)
Today was definitely harder to stay on track . . . After my snack I was doing pretty well, but a friend had some Starburst candies that looked pretty good to eat!! But I resisted! Whew!
Dinner was beef stew - with lots of vegetables. The recipe calls for just potatoes, onion and carrots, but I also added celery and green beans. Yum! This was my dad's favorite dinner that my mom made growing up. One day, while it was cooking, he snuck into the kitchen and poured a couple cups of burgundy into the pot without my mom's knowledge. When we were eating it that night, she commented that it was the best she's ever made it! Dad and I were cracking up!! :-)
I also made sweet potatoes and apples as a side dish for dinner. This is a dish that we usually eat at Thanksgiving, but I've altered it a bit to make it primal and so I can have a bit of sweetness when I'm craving it!
I finished off the night with 3 small squares of dark chocolate! But that was HARD - my husband won an ice cream cake yesterday - mint chocolate chip with chocolate cake - my favorite!! I struggled with whether or not I wanted to break my primal day by eating that cake or if I was going to stick to it!! Luckily, after a good dinner finished off with the sweet potatoes, I wasn't craving sweet. But I still had a bit of the munchies, so I settled with my dark chocolate and I was satisfied! Another crisis averted! Whew!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Roasted Carrots
Roasted Carrots
6-8 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
2 T. butter
1 T. honey
1 T. lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350.
Place carrots in a baking dish. Melt butter and mix with honey and lemon juice. Pour over carrots and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the carrots are soft.
6-8 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
2 T. butter
1 T. honey
1 T. lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350.
Place carrots in a baking dish. Melt butter and mix with honey and lemon juice. Pour over carrots and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the carrots are soft.
Week 1 Day 7
Sunday
I started the day with my coffee, a hard-boiled egg and a cinnamon muffin. Yum!
Lunch was the last quesadilla, the last of the broccoli/cauliflower and zucchini/carrots. Delicious!
I definitely felt better this afternoon eating good food. I hope to keep it up for life!
Dinner was delicious!! I made a delicious cod with roasted carrots and sauteed brussels sprouts. The recipe calls for mahi mahi and asparagus, but I substituted cod and brussels sprouts!! I kind of mutilate fish with I cook it because I'm never quite sure if it's cooked enough. I'm pretty good at making my food taste good, but I'm not always that good at making it look that good. :-) I didn't puree my almond sauce because I wanted to taste the slices of almond. Good choice because it was really very good. :-)
No exercise . . . I haven't really exercised much lately besides walking around the house and the grocery store. I'm seeing a new chiropractor for a pinched nerve in my hip and she's had me stop going to yoga for a couple weeks . . . and I can't wait to go back!!! My muscles have been itching for a deep stretch. I even woke up from my nap today with a charlie horse in my hamstring. Boo. Hopefully I can go back to yoga soon!
Recap of what I learned this week:
1. I bought too much food this week . . . but I think that was a good thing to do. I definitely over-bought fruit - I still have a bunch of pineapple, mangos, grapefruit, kiwi, apples and clementines left!
2. I can do this! It really wasn't that hard to stay grain free because I had so much good food available! It was definitely helpful to have a lot prepared so I could pack whatever I needed for the day.
3. Don't go to Central Market when I'm hungry - I went to buy stuff for the week, but right before dinnertime . . . and EVERYTHING was tempting me!! I especially love their tortillas, but I resisted the temptation and came home to fix my yummy dinner!
4. I love REAL FOOD!!
I started the day with my coffee, a hard-boiled egg and a cinnamon muffin. Yum!
Lunch was the last quesadilla, the last of the broccoli/cauliflower and zucchini/carrots. Delicious!
I definitely felt better this afternoon eating good food. I hope to keep it up for life!
Dinner was delicious!! I made a delicious cod with roasted carrots and sauteed brussels sprouts. The recipe calls for mahi mahi and asparagus, but I substituted cod and brussels sprouts!! I kind of mutilate fish with I cook it because I'm never quite sure if it's cooked enough. I'm pretty good at making my food taste good, but I'm not always that good at making it look that good. :-) I didn't puree my almond sauce because I wanted to taste the slices of almond. Good choice because it was really very good. :-)
I finished off the night with a small glass of white wine! Yum! All in all it was a very good day food-wise!
Recap of what I learned this week:
1. I bought too much food this week . . . but I think that was a good thing to do. I definitely over-bought fruit - I still have a bunch of pineapple, mangos, grapefruit, kiwi, apples and clementines left!
2. I can do this! It really wasn't that hard to stay grain free because I had so much good food available! It was definitely helpful to have a lot prepared so I could pack whatever I needed for the day.
3. Don't go to Central Market when I'm hungry - I went to buy stuff for the week, but right before dinnertime . . . and EVERYTHING was tempting me!! I especially love their tortillas, but I resisted the temptation and came home to fix my yummy dinner!
4. I love REAL FOOD!!
Week 1 Day 6
Saturday
Sleeping in, leisurely morning on the couch drinking coffee . . . perfect Saturday!
I made muffins today. I love quick breads - I'd rather have that than a loaf of crusty bread. So, when I found a recipe for these cinnamon muffins, I knew I had to try them! This is not something I will eat all the time because it does have more honey in it than I really need to eat, but it's wonderful for a treat!
While I was waiting for the muffins to bake, I had a cup of coffee and a small banana.
I was a little concerned that the recipe only made 9 muffins - but I really could have stretched it to 11-12 muffins because they overflowed the cups! Almond flour muffins don't loft like a wheat flour muffin! Oh well . . . they tasted really good and were VERY filling! Next time I might add a bit more butter in the filling, but still they were extremely satisfying!
Lunch was leftover chicken, broccoli/cauliflower and zucchini/carrots. Still good after 2 days, but I'm glad it's finished now! :-)
Brian wanted to go out to dinner, so we went to the Londoner and I had fish and chips. The fish was kind of bland even with malt vinegar on it, but the fries were yummy. But, after such a heavy and non-Primal meal, I felt awful. I hope to learn from my mistake last night and eat healthier even when we go out!!
Sleeping in, leisurely morning on the couch drinking coffee . . . perfect Saturday!
I made muffins today. I love quick breads - I'd rather have that than a loaf of crusty bread. So, when I found a recipe for these cinnamon muffins, I knew I had to try them! This is not something I will eat all the time because it does have more honey in it than I really need to eat, but it's wonderful for a treat!
Lunch was leftover chicken, broccoli/cauliflower and zucchini/carrots. Still good after 2 days, but I'm glad it's finished now! :-)
Brian wanted to go out to dinner, so we went to the Londoner and I had fish and chips. The fish was kind of bland even with malt vinegar on it, but the fries were yummy. But, after such a heavy and non-Primal meal, I felt awful. I hope to learn from my mistake last night and eat healthier even when we go out!!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Week 1 Day 5
Friday
I LOVE GOOD FOOD!
I have been searching the internet for grain free recipes for about 10 minutes and I have at least 10 recipes to try. I can't wait! I love the taste of food in it's natural state - no chemicals or additives needed to make it stay fresh longer or taste better. I've never been one to enjoy processed foods - even when I was little. I guess I have to thank my mom for feeding me mostly real food from an early age. I remember that when I was about 6-7, Kid Cuisine tv dinners came out. I begged my mom to buy me one because it was food just for a kid, right? But I hated it! It was nasty processed food that just didn't taste good. So, thank you, Mom, for feeding me good stuff early so that I developed a taste for real food! :-)
So today for breakfast I drank my coffee and ate some fresh mango along with a strip of bacon and two fried eggs. I don't know exactly why, but those eggs were delicious! Maybe it's because I cooked the bacon first and then added the eggs to the pan in the leftover bacon grease. Whatever it was - it was yummy! :-)
And I really like the Trader Joe's Applewood Uncured Bacon. I was hesitant at first because I don't really like applewood smoked stuff, but I REALLY like this bacon! Allie even made some bacon and eggs for herself last night and she REALLY liked it too! I've tried other uncured bacon before and not really liked them - so I'm thrilled that I found one we both like! And I know Brian will eat almost anything so I don't have to worry about him even though he hasn't tried it yet!
Friday lunches are a special time in my department at school. We go out to eat as a group. One of the ladies is fasting from meat on Fridays during Lent and I'm grain-free so we decided to go to Panera Bread because it would have options for all of us to eat. I was very tempted to eat a panini because I really do love their bread, but instead I chose their creamy tomato soup (sans the croutons), a side salad and iced tea. I forgot to ask them to leave off the bread - so it stared at me throughout lunch, but I managed to avoid eating it! Yay! Maybe next time I'll ask them to substitute the bread for something else because I was still hungry after I finished lunch. When we got back to school, I filled up on the last of my guacamole and plantain chips, a hard boiled egg and a square of dark chocolate. Full!
And I'm satisfied with filling my body with yummy, real food. After eating good food like this, I don't even miss the grains!
I was definitely hungry for a snack - I think my stomach issues this week were more to do with the excitement of the referral instead of the food! Today it's much better. So for my snack I had a spinach salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Dinner was totally non-Primal. I had to go to the airport tonight, so I was out during dinner-time. I had a pepperoni pizza from Campisi's with ranch dressing and a small Pepsi. It was so yummy! But, I noticed that I couldn't even eat the whole thing. I've never had a problem eating a whole Campisi's pizza, but I left about 1/4 of it and I was VERY full. Plus, I could only drink 1 cup full of the Pepsi! It was so sweet and I actually wanted water after I had had a cup of that. I'm part camel and drink a whole lot. Usually I can refill my cup 2-3 times in a meal because I'm so thirsty. But after 1 cup full of Pepsi, I just didn't want any more. So, even though this was a cheat meal, I'm pleased that my tastes and habits are changing!
On another note - Brian loved the frittata I had made earlier in the week! He polished off the last 3 slices today and told me that I have to make it again! It's so true that different people have different tastes! Ha!
I LOVE GOOD FOOD!
I have been searching the internet for grain free recipes for about 10 minutes and I have at least 10 recipes to try. I can't wait! I love the taste of food in it's natural state - no chemicals or additives needed to make it stay fresh longer or taste better. I've never been one to enjoy processed foods - even when I was little. I guess I have to thank my mom for feeding me mostly real food from an early age. I remember that when I was about 6-7, Kid Cuisine tv dinners came out. I begged my mom to buy me one because it was food just for a kid, right? But I hated it! It was nasty processed food that just didn't taste good. So, thank you, Mom, for feeding me good stuff early so that I developed a taste for real food! :-)
So today for breakfast I drank my coffee and ate some fresh mango along with a strip of bacon and two fried eggs. I don't know exactly why, but those eggs were delicious! Maybe it's because I cooked the bacon first and then added the eggs to the pan in the leftover bacon grease. Whatever it was - it was yummy! :-)
And I really like the Trader Joe's Applewood Uncured Bacon. I was hesitant at first because I don't really like applewood smoked stuff, but I REALLY like this bacon! Allie even made some bacon and eggs for herself last night and she REALLY liked it too! I've tried other uncured bacon before and not really liked them - so I'm thrilled that I found one we both like! And I know Brian will eat almost anything so I don't have to worry about him even though he hasn't tried it yet!
Friday lunches are a special time in my department at school. We go out to eat as a group. One of the ladies is fasting from meat on Fridays during Lent and I'm grain-free so we decided to go to Panera Bread because it would have options for all of us to eat. I was very tempted to eat a panini because I really do love their bread, but instead I chose their creamy tomato soup (sans the croutons), a side salad and iced tea. I forgot to ask them to leave off the bread - so it stared at me throughout lunch, but I managed to avoid eating it! Yay! Maybe next time I'll ask them to substitute the bread for something else because I was still hungry after I finished lunch. When we got back to school, I filled up on the last of my guacamole and plantain chips, a hard boiled egg and a square of dark chocolate. Full!
And I'm satisfied with filling my body with yummy, real food. After eating good food like this, I don't even miss the grains!
I was definitely hungry for a snack - I think my stomach issues this week were more to do with the excitement of the referral instead of the food! Today it's much better. So for my snack I had a spinach salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Dinner was totally non-Primal. I had to go to the airport tonight, so I was out during dinner-time. I had a pepperoni pizza from Campisi's with ranch dressing and a small Pepsi. It was so yummy! But, I noticed that I couldn't even eat the whole thing. I've never had a problem eating a whole Campisi's pizza, but I left about 1/4 of it and I was VERY full. Plus, I could only drink 1 cup full of the Pepsi! It was so sweet and I actually wanted water after I had had a cup of that. I'm part camel and drink a whole lot. Usually I can refill my cup 2-3 times in a meal because I'm so thirsty. But after 1 cup full of Pepsi, I just didn't want any more. So, even though this was a cheat meal, I'm pleased that my tastes and habits are changing!
On another note - Brian loved the frittata I had made earlier in the week! He polished off the last 3 slices today and told me that I have to make it again! It's so true that different people have different tastes! Ha!
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