Consistency: My New Year's Resolution

I'm terrible at consistency. No, not sauce consistency. My sauces are just fine, thank you very much! But following through with something for a extended period of time, forget about it! i.e. I haven't updated this blog since August! Wow, that's pathetic! I had a rough time of it this semester. That's my excuse. I just never seemed to be able to stay ahead with everything that needed to get done. My classes weren't that difficult this semester but they required A LOT of homework. Which I'm terrible at. Plus I got a new job which was hard. Time management is not my strong suit.

So that's what I want to work on this coming year; following through with things. I got off track with eating too so I want to get back to that. I haven't felt that bad (fewer headaches then I have had in years past) but I do feel sluggish and have had some difficulty concentrating. Hopefully, I can turn that around!

I asked for one main thing this Christmas, a spiralizer! I got two different ones! I tried out one tonight and it worked pretty well but it's kind of bulky and hard to wash. I also got a smaller, handheld one that I'm going to try next week and see how well it does because that I can just pop into the dishwasher. But overall, I was pleased with how it worked.

I made a new recipe tonight with zoodles (zucchini noodles). This is another one of my own creations! It wasn't completely Paleo, though it could easily be adapted that way. I started cooking this and realized I was out of almond meal which is what I usually use to bread the eggplant. I ended up using Panko crumbs. NOT gluten free. Oh well.  This dish is vegetarian also. I hope you try it and enjoy it! My whole family liked it, even my dad!


Eggplant Parmesan with Creamy Tomato Basil Zoodles

For the zoodles:
3 medium zucchini
1 can diced tomatoes (fresh would be fine too)
2 T dry red wine
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp salt
2 T ricotta or cream cheese (omit if you'd like dairy free)
Pinch red pepper
Pinch black pepper
( I also used a teaspoon of italian herbs that I had but you don't have to)

For the Eggplant:
1 large eggplant, sliced
1/2 C almond meal
2 eggs, beaten
Mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese (I used mozzarella for my dad's. That's what's pictured above. I used Parmesan for mom and mine because we were being stricter with the dairy)
salt to taste
Olive oil to fry in

1. Combine tomatoes, wine, and spices. Let simmer till thick, about 20 minutes. Add ricotta and mix together. You can add some water if the sauce is too thick for your taste.

2. Spiral cut the zucchini. Stir fry slightly in a pan with olive oil. Do not overcook! They get mushy quickly! Sprinkle with some basil and salt if desired. Add sauce to coat and stir.

3. Slice eggplant bias cut. Dip in egg and then the almond meal. Fry in olive oil until brown.

4. Slice mozzarella or parmesan and lay on top of the eggplant. Broil for 1 minute until the cheese melts. Top with tomato sauce and serve!

P.S. You could also add a bit of tapioca starch or some other gluten free flour to the almond meal if you'd like. It makes it crispier if you do that. Sometimes I find the eggplant is a little soggy if you just use the almond meal but it depends on how much water is in the eggplant.

Alcohol on the Paleo diet: Good or Bad?

Is alcohol Paleo? Most people would say no, it's not. Though, fermented drinks have been traced back to the Neolithic time period so it's quite possible that the Paleolithic man did drink some type of fermented drink. Probably because, without refrigeration or preserving mechanisms, things will ferment on their own :)

But some alcohols are actually quite good for you in small doses. Red wine for example. It's high in antioxidants and has been proven to lower your risk for heart disease and prevent blood clotting (which can lead to strokes). Just like the saying goes, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", a glass of red wine a day keeps death at bay. Not really :) But that would be cool! Wish I wasn't allergic to alcohol.

I know you're thinking, "what did she just say?!". Yep, totally allergic to alcohol. In the same way people are lactose intolerant, my body doesn't process ethanol. It's actually fairly common in Asians. My mother and brother both have the same condition. I have it to a lesser degree than both of them. I can have maybe 1/8 cup of wine or beer and be ok. Most days. If I'm tired or not feeling well to begin with, alcohol will exacerbate that. But I can cook with it because when you cook alcohol at a high temperature, you'll burn off the alcohol.

So here's a new recipe for you. I kinda took the Pioneer Woman's Steak Bites recipe and revamped it. I struggled with what to pair this recipe with. In the end, I decided on mashed cauliflower (potatoes for my dad, as he has not gotten on board with the whole Paleo thing and won't eat mashed cauliflower!) but I considered noodles. I think egg noodles would be good with this if you're not eating gluten free. Or quinoa pasta if you are.

Meal total: For steak bites, $4.85. I added peas and mashed cauliflower which adds $2 to the meal. $6.85 total

P.S. I just remembered that peas are not strictly Paleo either. Oh well, I already ate them :) But if you're wanting a truly Paleo meal, try come carrots or green beans instead. But might I add, those peas (Green Giant's select baby peas) were probably the best peas I have ever eaten! They fairly exploded in my mouth! They weren't mealy or mushy at all! Maybe that was due to my extraordinary "cooking" skills. And by cooking, I mean boiling them in the microwave. Probably not.

Steak Bites in a Red Wine Reduction

1-2 lbs sirloin steak, cut into cubes
4 T butter
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 T honey
1/2 cup beef broth
Fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper, to taste

-Heat a large skillet on high. Add butter and heat it till it's slightly browned
-Add cubed sirloin to butter and sear until nicely carmelized on one side. Flip bites over and sear again, maybe 3-4 minutes. Cook these on high so that they brown quickly without fully cooking the insides. That's the secret to cooking sirloin. Don't overcook sirloin or it'll be chewy.
- Remove meat to a bowl.
-Add more butter to pan if necessary and saute garlic and shallots together till translucent.
-Pour wine into pan to deglaze the pan. Cook for a few minutes.
-Add broth and honey to pan and cook on high for several minutes until sauce starts to reduce. Add meat back in and serve immediately.

Thai Meatballs and my run-on thoughts...

I love to write. My English Comp 2 teacher often complimented me, saying my rhetoric was fantastic. I thank my momma for that talent :) I can easily whip out a paper in an hour or two. Now if only I had the same gift for Organic Chemistry. There are many days where I've sat on my couch or at the dining room table ALL DAY doing homework. And I'm not exaggerating. 8-9 hours to finish one assignment. Thank God Almighty I'm done with those classes!

But although I love to write, sometimes blogging is hard for me. I go in waves, usually, where the words just flow out of me and I have lots to say and know exactly how to express my thoughts and ideas. I can be very opinionated about topics I'm passionate about. Like I was talking about earlier, my English comp 2 class was all about persuasion writing. And oh boy, I could go on and on in an essay. You'll never get me to admit defeat about certain topics. One of those topics is nutrition. Especially in schools and low income.

I've battled my weight for many years. Really, ever since puberty. My hormones have never been balanced. I was diagnosed with probable PCOS at age 16, which was confirmed when I developed two large cysts on my ovaries 3 years ago. I have almost every symptom now of PCOS. My doctors wanted to put me on 4 different medications but I balked at that. Who wants to be on a slew of medications at age 27? But battling this through diet and exercise is exceedingly hard. I don't eat a ton. I've never been the one to finish off an entire pizza or half a chocolate cake in one sitting. I've always been a normal eater. I eat my fruits and veggies. I love brown rice, maybe even more than white. I grew up with a mom who cooked everything from scratch. Many of you can attest to that. I didn't know what a store bought cookie tasted like till I was 6. My mom still tells the story of how I came home from a friend's house complaining about the awful "cookies" her mom served. Turns out it was an Oreo. And my grandmother regularly tells the story of me asking her if various things had "shuga" in them, since I wasn't allowed to eat much sugar in those days.

But the pounds have determinedly stuck with me. The only thing that seems to work for me is sticking to a Paleo diet. In essence, it's a very low sugar diet. And not just what you'd normally think of as "sugar". Carbohydrates are sugar to the body. Your body breaks down carbs into sugars called monosaccharides. That means flour, potatoes, and corn are all out. These are also the most common GMO foods as well. But that's a different conversation. Back to the Paleo diet.

I don't like everything about the Paleo diet. Some of it is unnecessary, at least for me. But I read in a couple different places that the Paleo diet is a rubric. It's a list of general guidelines and I think, for the most part, those guidelines are solid. Take the basic premise of the Paleo diet and build off of it. No one's body is exactly the same. What works for one person, won't work for another. What your body can tolerate isn't necessarily what mine can. My body processes milk just fine but my mom does not. For us, we eat some lentils and garbanzo beans (we don't really like any other form of bean), some dairy, and some brown rice. None of those are on the traditional Paleo diet but it works for us. I spent about 6 weeks on the strictest form of Paleo doing the 21 day sugar detox (find it here) and then adding different things afterwards to see what worked best for my body.

So that's where I'm at now. I'm down about 25 lbs from where I started in February. I'm not perfect and I cheat from time to time (pasta is my downfall, and popcorn too!). I still have a long ways to go but I'm trying to establish a firm foundation. It's a journey that needs to last a lifetime.

So here's a new Paleo recipe for you! Hope you like them as much as we did! I didn't tally how much this meal cost very well. I'd say maybe $6? The pork cost $2.25/lb, the coconut milk cost $1.40 for the can, the almond butter maybe I used $.50 worth? Those were the most expensive of the ingredients. All the spices I already had in the house. The zucchini and carrots cost me less than $1 and I only used part of what I bought.

Thai Meatballs (Adapted from PaleOMG)

Meatballs
- 1 zucchini, minced (I did this in the food processor)
- 2 carrots, minced
- 1 pound pork
- 1/2 pound ground beef or turkey (or omit altogether, I did)
- 1 T freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 T curry powder
- salt and pepper, to tast

Sauce
- 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1 T soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 T sriracha sauce, hot sauce, or red pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 T honey
- 2 T curry powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place zucchini and carrots in food processor and mince till fine. Remove from processor and squeeze out as much excess water as you're able to.

3. Combine zucchini, carrots, meat, and the rest of the meatball ingredients listed in a bowl and mix together.

4. Shape into 1/4 cup sized meatballs and place on a cookie sheet.

5. Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes until thoroughly cooked. 

While meatballs are cooking...

1. Place all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat through. 

2. Once meatballs are done, add them to sauce and serve. Garnish with scallion, cilantro, or parsley as desired.

A deviation: Indian Dhal

Well, I lied. This next recipe in the line of $8 or less dinners is NOT Paleo. The Paleolithic diet doesn't approve of legumes, saying they're high in phytic acid and Lectin, which damage the small intestine and prohibit proper nutrient uptake. Though, I've read mixed opinions on that and I honestly think that's a load of crap. Unless you're actually allergic to legumes (it's 2nd most common food allergy), then that's a different story. This is definitely a clean eating recipe, though. And it's low in fat, salt, and calories. I calculated this recipe at 197 calories a serving. Add a nice salad or veggie and some brown rice, you're still under 500 calories for a hearty dinner!

Dhal is a popular Indian dish. I make lots of Indian recipes. It's probably my favorite ethnic food. This recipe is super easy and quick to make. And cheap. WAY cheap. Probably won't get much cheaper than this recipe! A 1 lb bag of lentils at Walmart is $1.25 here. Though I can get them way cheaper than that when they go on sale at Sprouts. They'll go $.69 a lb there a couple times a year. Feel free to substitute split peas instead. They taste the same to me. I used red lentils this time but green lentils are fine too!

I love the smell of garlic and onions cooking. It's probably the Italian in me that says it's the best food combination ever created! My best friend growing up hated onions! I still don't think she loves them. I never understood that. But then again, she would probably say the same thing about my aversion to mushrooms. We would always trade when we were little. I'd eat her onions and she would eat my mushrooms. Ok, maybe we still do that!

This dish isn't that pretty by itself. It actually took me a little while to figure out how to make it look appealing for pictures :) I rummaged through my cabinets a bit to find a pretty bowl. This bowl I bought in Cozumel last spring break! This is the first time I've used it. Nice, huh?

Dhal (I calculate it cost me less than $3 to make this. Add in brown rice and bagged salad mix, it's a meal for 3 for $4.25!)

1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom (optional, I don't think this adds a lot to the recipe)
2 T olive oil

1 cup dried lentils
3 cups hot water
1 tsp salt

Fry onion and spices in olive oil until golden brown. Add lentils, water, and salt. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender (about 30 minutes). Remove cover and simmer another 20 minutes until lentils are mushy, like the consistency of refried beans. If you'd like, use an immersion blender to puree to smooth into a sauce. Garnish with onions or lemon juice. Serve hot over rice.

Chicken Satay with Almond Butter Sauce

I totally made this recipe up and it was quite good! The chicken was tender and moist. The sauce was rich and flavorful. I also made a cauliflower-carrot mash but I didn't make that recipe up :)

The scallions and parsley sprinkled on top are from my garden. Did you know you can replant scallion bottoms bought at the store and they'll regrow? Quite quickly and easily actually! I bought a bunch of scallions for $.33 at Sprouts a couple months ago. After using the tops, I replanted the bottoms and now have a continuous supply! The parsley I got on clearance at Safeway for $.75 a couple weeks ago. With all the rain we've been getting, I took a kind of wimpy, droopy plant and now have an awesome, healthy plant!

I've been in love with this coconut yogurt! It's regularly priced at $1 at King Soopers (I haven't seen it at Walmart yet) but I got this cup for free with the iBotta rebate (another money saver app that I love!). It's a bit runnier than regular yogurt but still good! It comes in several flavors but I usually buy just the plain because I can add whatever to it or use it in cooking. I make several different Indian/Thai dishes with it!

Total Cost of this meal: $5.77 (served 3)

$1.67 for the chicken
$1 for the coconut yogurt
$1 worth of  spices
$.35 tomato paste
$.50 almond butter
$1 cauliflower
$.25 carrots


Chicken Satay

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breasts
6 oz coconut yogurt
1 T curry
1 t coriander
1 t cumin
6 wooden skewers

Combine yogurt and spices in a bowl. Add chicken breasts and coat with sauce. Marinate for at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
Thickly slice chicken and thread onto wooden skewers
Grill over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. Serve warm with sauce

Almond Butter Sauce
This was actually a peanut butter based sauce but I just substituted almond butter instead (as peanuts are not Paleo approved) and it tasted just fine!

1 T oil
2 cloves garlic
2 T tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 T honey
2 T almond butter
1 tsp sriratcha sauce
2 tsp gluten free soy sauce (or coconut aminos if strictly Paleo)

Heat oil in small saucepan. Saute garlic until golden, about 30 seconds. Add all other ingredients. Stir to combine and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Cool and serve.

Cauliflower- Carrot Mash
Modified from (http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2011/11/cauliflower-carrot-herb-mash/)

1 16-oz bag frozen cauliflower
1 handful baby carrots
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 T chopped scallions
1 t curry
2 T olive oil

Boil carrots and cauliflower and carrots until tender, about 18 minutes. Drain.
Saute onions, garlic, and curry in oil until onions are translucent.
Add both carrot/cauliflowers and onion mixture into a food processor. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
 Note: You could use any herb mixture you'd like. The original recipe called for rosemary and thyme but I didn't think that would go with my Asian inspired flavors.

Pot Roast- Paleo style and in a hurry!

I'm really excited about a new blog series I'm going to start writing. I don't have all the details ironed out right now so I'll hold off giving too much away but it'll be focused on bringing clean eating to every income level. Our church just moved from a very nice, upscale building on a college campus to it's own, completely paid for building in a very low income area. And it's been on my heart about how the poverty and sub-poverty level families eat. We're nowhere near wealthy ourselves, but we're also not poverty stricken and never have been. So, I'll be collaborating with a few people who understand more clearly what "poverty" in the United States means. But in the mean time, I'm going to post some clean eating, paleo (or easily paleo modified) recipes on a budget. They'll all be under $8 for the whole meal, start to finish. So, without further adieu, here's the first one! :)

Pot Roast- Paleo Style!

I've taken my mother's pot roast, which I absolutely love, and modified it a bit to be Paleo. Ok, really all I did was switch out the white flour for tapioca. The rest of the ingredients were already Paleo-approved! What makes this pot roast so yummy and different, I think, is the gravy. You blend the veggies that cook with the meat into the gravy. It's a great way to sneak vegetables in if you're cooking for picky eaters!

I started with kinda old sirloin steaks. I know that's an odd cut of meat to use for pot roast but I've got a reason! We don't really like these on the grill. They're not well marbled and are quite tough, even when I first bought them a couple months ago. My local Albertsons' runs a Buy 1, Get 2 free sale on meat quite often, with these being included (in fact, I believe these sirloins will be on sale this coming week!). So, this package was only $6.28. And that's over 2 lbs of steak! At only $2.98 a pound, they're actually cheaper than if I bought a traditional pot roast!

Next, I coated the steaks in tapioca starch (I got this in the bulk section of Sprouts) and fried them for a little while in olive oil. You could use any flour substitute you want. Or white flour if that's all you've got. You're only talking a couple tablespoons total. But we're personally going completely gluten free for the week to deal with some physical issues my mom is having. I also sprinkled some garlic salt from Trader Joe's on the steaks as well but that's not necessary.

 I then added 1 whole onion, 3 stalks of celery, a couple cloves of garlic, and a handful of baby carrots. I know you're thinking, why would you use baby carrots? They're more expensive. Yes, but I'm lazy so that's all I buy. They're on sale for $.88 a bag at Sprouts anyway. Cover with 2 cans of beef broth or water and bouillon. Whichever you've got, or whatever's cheaper. I just happened to have canned beef broth in the cupboard that I got on sale at Christmastime for $.10 a can. Yes, I still have them 7 months later. Don't judge.

Cover and cook for 3-5 hours. My sirloin only took about 3 hours but they were smaller pieces. If you use a traditional roast, it's gonna take longer!

Remove all the vegetables from the pot and place them in a blender. I used a small food processor but you could also use an immersion blender if you prefer. I've used one several times as well. It takes a bit longer to smooth out the vegetables that way though.

Blend vegetables until smooth. Kind of looks like baby food, huh? Not too appealing but trust me, it's so yummy! Add this back to the pot of broth.

Stir to combine. Add broth to thin the sauce out to desired consistency. Depending on how much water/broth you added in the beginning, you may actually need to add thickener. I only added 2 cans of broth so it was quite thick and needed thinning. Slice meat, top with sauce and serve with whatever accompaniments! I served this with brown rice (yes, I know. Not Paleo, but gluten free and I don't have a problem with brown rice. We don't eat it every day and are careful about how much starch we consume). You could also serve it with cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower. Hope you enjoy this meal as much as we do!

Total cost: $8.08 or so. I got the brown rice for $.69/lb at Sprouts. A pound was about 3 cups and I cooked a cup so $.23 worth plus the broccoli was $.50 a bag.


Ingredients (with cost breakdown in parenthesis)

Beef Rib Roast: Well, that's traditional. I used the sirloins :) ($6.28)
2 T tapioca starch or flour ($.15)
1 onion, chopped ($.20)
3-5 celery stalks, chopped ($.20)
a handful of baby carrots or 2 regular carrots ($.20)
2 cups of beef broth ($.20)
2 cloves of garlic ($.10)
Enough oil to coat bottom of pan

1. Coat beef in flour and sear on medium-high in oil till browned thoroughly on outside. Don't worry about cooking it through.
2. Add all other ingredients to pot. Cover and cook 3-4 hours on low.
3. Strain out vegetables into a blender and puree, or use an immersion blender to blend in the pot. Add broth or flour to achieve desired consistency or gravy. Serve immediately over rice or cauliflower.

A Summer Redone

Last year, I had all these grand plans for my summer off from school. Remember this? Well, I only got about 6 weeks into it before I landed a summer job in Idaho and it all went out the window! This year, I'm taking a couple summer classes (in hopes of actually finishing school next year!) so I'm definitely not going anywhere. So, I think I'm going to try tackling a new summer plan! I've not been working this past year so finances are VERY tight but I think I can still do some fun things and hopefully tighten up the budget in areas!

One of the main things I really need to get better at this summer is grocery spending. You all know me! I'm the grocery queen! But for several months, I've been playing around with the 21 day Sugar Detox and a modified version of Paleo. This has sent my grocery budget spiraling out of control! I tend to try to keep our budget at about $200 a month. Many times, it's a bit more than this. Around the holidays, it's A LOT more than this. But in February, when I started this new eating plan, it tripled to over $600 a month. That's ridiculous and we can't afford that anymore! So, a summer challenge for me is how to get our grocery budget back down to the $200 range and still incorporate the new eating strategies? Any suggestions? I know, since it's summertime, produce will be way more affordable and that's good. That's a major part of my diet. I'm also going to grow some produce again. Mostly, it'll be herbs. They do well in my flower boxes :)

I also want to get outside more. More hikes, more outdoor concerts/movie nights, more picnics. We live in, in my opinion, the most beautiful state, and I need to find the time to enjoy it more! I'd love the opportunity to use my awesome camera too. I bought it a couple of years ago when we went to Hawaii and have only used it a handful of time since!

My last goal this summer is organization. I want to come back to school in the fall with a plan. A plan to keep stress down at home. A plan to become more diligent with school. I've got 7 classes in the fall. I can't afford to slack off!

And in the spirit of my summer, here's a recipe for you! We made these last night for dinner and they are yummy! I think they cost me about $3.50 for the whole meal. I modified it slightly by using ground turkey instead of chopped chicken breasts. I think it tastes more like P.F. Chang's that way. I also used a bit of honey (about 1 T) to take some of the bitterness out. You could also use grated carrot in it to give it sweetness if you'd like!



Ingredients:
1/2 lb chicken breast, chopped (I used ground turkey)
2 T tamari (this is a wheat free soy sauce and I find it at the Asian store) or coconut aminos
1 t fish sauce
1 T sriracha
1 small onion, diced finely
1/2 c water chesnuts, diced
1 large close garlic, minced
2 T coconut oil or EVOO

- Heat oil in pan and saute onions and garlic together
- Add meat to onion mixture and cook till brown
- Add all the rest of the ingredients and heat till it thickens a bit
- Serve in lettuce cups. Enjoy!

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Oh the joys!

Why is it that you never lose weight in the areas you want first? I think the 16-17 lbs I've lost so far have all been in my legs and face. I'd prefer to lose the fat in my arms and waist first! I've got about 3 lbs to go to hit my first goal, lose 20 lbs before I cruise. I'm in the final stretch! 5 more days to go!

I spent most of the weekend prepping for this last week of doing the 21dsd. I made chicken salad with celery and green apples which I'll wrap in lettuce for lunch this week.

I made Paleo friendly apple fritters. These are made with coconut flour, which I've never used before. They tasted awesome but I didn't like the texture. They were very grainy and they didn't crisp up. I'll have to tweak the recipe a bit.

I also made these Paleo swedish meatballs! They were yummy! Hope they reheat well for lunches next week.

We're celebrating my dad's birthday and St. Patrick's day tonight with corned beef and cabbage. My dad always asks for the same thing for his birthday day dinner every year, corned beef, and mom always refuses to make it for him because we have it two days later for St. Patrick's Day. So, the running joke in our house is that dad is the only person to never get whatever he wants for his birthday. I wouldn't have a problem eating it twice in one week! But mom doesn't really like the meal.

It IS fine to eat on the 21dsd though! Except for the potatoes, which is fine with me. I'll reheat leftover rutabaga instead. Yum! I love mashed rutabaga! So, here's a recipe for you if you want to try it. It's yummy!


Mashed Rutabaga with Sour cream and dill (recipe and pic from Simply Recipes )

Ingredients 

• 2 to 3 pounds of rutabagas, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream (more or less to taste)
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill or chives

METHOD

1. Cover the chopped rutabaga with about 1 inch of cold water and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and boil until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Drain and return to pot

2. Reduce the heat to love and let rutabaga steam for a few minutes. Mash with a potato masher. Add butter, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, mix in chopped dill or chives. 

What to eat for breakfast!

I hate breakfast foods! Ok, maybe that's a little harsh. But I really dislike most of it. Oatmeal, yuck. Cereal, don't like the milk. Eggs, one of my very least favorite foods in the whole wide world. Can't eat pancakes, though I DO love those. I also don't particularly like to eat leftovers for breakfast. My palate just isn't ready for the heaviness of leftovers. So, pretty much, I drink smoothies and protein shakes for breakfast nowadays. Until I found this recipe...

It's awesome. I can stand the eggs in it because I can't really taste them and they don't have an eggy texture. It's easy to make, very versatile, and cheap! A bonus, because my food budget has tripled recently. Sigh. I know you're thinking, turnips? Really? Seriously, you'd never now they weren't hashbrowns. They have the EXACT same texture! It's amazing! When you're peeling them and shredding them, they smell like horseradish. Don't let this sway you from making the dish. They don't end up tasting like horseradish. Mix it up with different meats, veggies, cheeses (if you eat cheese). The original recipe didn't call for cheese because it was a paleo recipe but I don't have a problem with cheese. The first time I made this recipe, I used the sausage it calls for. This time, I used ham. I also added onions and red peppers. You could try turkey sausage, regular sausage, bacon, or ham. Try chicken sausage too. That's always yummy.

Breakfast Casserole (original recipe from Mark's Daily Apple: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-breakfast-casserole/#ixzz2vhBqfErG)

Approximately 8 servings

• 1 pound ground breakfast sausage or other breakfast meat
• 3 turnips, peeled and grated (a food processor works well for this)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 c chopped vegetables (whichever float your boat. Onions, bell peppers, leeks, mushrooms, etc)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (again, whichever. I used Old Croc's all natural extra sharp cheddar) 

Instructions:

Sauté sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon or spatula, until almost cooked through.

Mix the sausage with the rest of the ingredients.

Spoon into a 9X16 greased baking pan.

When ready to cook, heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes  Let cool 15-20 minutes so the casserole sets before cutting into it.

P.S. This freezes perfectly! Cut it into squares, place it on a cookie sheet and freeze. Then, when you want to eat it, pop it into the microwave for 1 minute or so. It's great! 

I've discovered...

Warning: the next paragraph is a little graphic :)
I've been off the sugar detox for about 3 weeks. Not that long. And I've noticed a few things since then. I've taken Metformin for about 2 years now, off and on (mostly off, I'm not good at remembering to take medication). If I don't remember to take medicine though, I get pretty bad diarrhea for about 2 days until my body adjusts to it again. And then I'm fine! Until the next time I forget to take it for a few days. And the cycle repeats itself. Until I did the sugar detox last month. I hadn't remembered to take Metformin in a couple of weeks but I started up again on it the same day I went on the sugar detox. I wanted to make sure that I was controlling sugar levels from the beginning. What I was really afraid of was diabetic shock. That my blood sugar would crash dramatically when I took out all forms of sugar. So back on the pill I went. But this time, not diarrhea! I can't really explain scientifically why this happened.

What I think happened was something to do with the combination of this medicine and gluten. Because I've introduced wheat back into my diet (at times, A LOT of it) and I'm back to the diarrhea. I've not introduced soda, fast food, white sugar, or even much desserty type stuff back in so I don't think it's that. Any other ideas?

I've also discovered I need to stick to the food plan pretty closely. I lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks on 21dsd (that's short for 21 day Sugar Detox). I've lost 1.8 pounds since then. And I've been at the gym 4 days a week! Grrr. Not happy about this.

Last thing I've discovered. I love vegetables. No, like seriously. All kinds. Mushrooms are really the only ones I don't care for. Oh, and beets (although are they considered a vegetable? I'm not sure). I like vegetables more than fruit! But that makes sense to me because I've always craved salt over sugar. I'd rather a pickle than a Popsicle.

So, to wrap up, I'm going back on the 21dsd. It's the only thing that seemed to work. Plus, I'm going to do this 3-week exercise plan as well.  That'll take me to the night before Spring Break. And then, maybe, I'll be more motivated to eat right and go to the gym onboard ship. Oh, we're taking a 7-day cruise to the Caribbean for those who don't know. I know I'll cheat. But I hope I won't want to undo everything I've worked for in the last two months. At least that's the dream!

21 days on a sugar detox: The Finale

Wow, 3 weeks went by so quick! I've been back in school for a month, taken two tests, done multiple evenings of homework, and finished a sugar detox. I don't have a sense of, "Oh, now I'm done with this course, I can go back to how I was eating before". I think I'm going to just continue this way. I feel really good after 3 weeks. My blood sugar is more stable, I haven't had a migraine since day 3, and I've lost 12 pounds. Not bad for less than a month!

I've realized how much sugar had a grip on my health. Before, it would seem like at 2:30, I would zone out for the day. Any class, project, event, that happened after that time, I wasn't really present for. Until about 7:00pm when I had eaten dinner and my sugar levels would jump back up. Now, I'm clearheaded all day. Of course, by 5:00pm, I'm kinda done with school. I've been in class for 8 hours, what do you expect?! But it's not food related. I'm also sleeping better and more efficiently. I'd sleep 9-10 hours before and sometimes not feel energized. Now, I'm sleeping 7 1/2 to 8 hours and awake ready to face the day.

One thing though that I have noticed is I'm breaking out more. Odd. I'm not sure what's causing that. Maybe a diet higher in fat? I've never struggled with acne (I don't have acne now, it's not that bad), even during my teenage years. But right now is probably the worst it's been in many years. And the 6-7 spots I do have, I've had for about 2 weeks now. They don't seem to want to heal. Anybody heard anything about this? I'm not sure what to do about that.

So, I'm sure you're thinking, "what are you going to eat now?" I'm going to just continue on this way. I don't think I'll add other carb sources. Brown Rice and the occasional popcorn have been fine for me (I can't give up popcorn, I would die). I will add more fruits back in. There's a pineapple ripening on my counter as I speak that is calling to me. I won't be as strict about what goes into my mouth either. If I really want that bowl of pasta, then I'll eat it! But it won't be 3 times a week. I've gotten a lot more aware of what foods I eat and what ingredients I use and I hope to continue that. It's been eye opening to realize that what I eat affects not only long term health but day-to-day life as well. These 3 weeks have been at times challenging, but it's been a wonderful lesson in accountability and discipline as well. I've enjoyed doing this detox and I hope it's just the beginning to a different pattern in life.

Meals for this last week are listed below if you're interested :) Thanks for reading and the support many of you have extended throughout these past few weeks!

Day 15
Breakfast: Atkins Shake, Apple and Almond Butter
Lunch: Leftover Chicken Soup
Dinner: Salisbury Steak, Brown Rice, and Broccoli

Day 16
Breakfast: Atkins Shake, Coffee
Lunch: Leftover Garlic Pork and Broccoli
Dinner: Spanakopita Chicken Meatballs, Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Day 17
Breakfast: Paleo Breakfast Casserole  (this was wonderful! I added cheese, green peppers,
                                             and onions)
                                            Lunch: Leftover Meatballs
                                            Dinner: Taco Salad

Day 18
Breakfast: Leftover Breakfast Casserole
Lunch: Hamburger with Cheese, Zucchini and Onions sauteed
Dinner: Coconut Curry Lentil Soup 

Day 19
Breakfast: Carrot Pumpkin Muffin
Lunch: Chicken Caesar Salad
Dinner: Chili

Day 20
Breakfast: Carrot Pumpkin Muffin
Lunch: Chicken and Broccoli
Dinner: Eggplant Parmesan, Spaghetti Squash

Day 21
Breakfast: Banana, Cheese Stick, Salami
Lunch: Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets, Spaghetti Squash
Dinner: Out for dinner

My cravings for bread

I woke up this morning and NEEDED baked goods. It's a gorgeous, snowy day and what's better than that? A snowy day with a cup of hot cocoa, a muffin, and a blazing fire, that's what. And so I jumped on Pinterest to find a 21 day sugar detox approved bread recipe. I didn't care what kind of bread it was. Muffins, cookies, quick bread (like banana bread). Any of them would work. And I stumbled upon this recipe: Sugar Detox Carrot Cupcakes. So, I decided to try it! But unfortunately, I had few of the ingredients that are needed for this recipe. Don't worry though, I am my mother's child and so I modified practically everything about this recipe. And they came out great! These are paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, low in carbs, delicious. I've yet to eat a gluten free muffin with a better texture. The only thing I don't like about them is they are not sweet at all. Once I'm off this sugar detox, I'll add honey to them (or on top of them, or both) to sweeten them up. Adding raisins and/or nuts would be good too! But seriously, try these! They are wonderful!

P.S. The secret I've learned to good gluten free baking is using a mixture of flours. The original recipe called for just coconut flour but I used almond, a gluten free flour mixture from trader joe's, and tapioca flour.

21DSD Carrot (Pumpkin) Cupcakes

Author: TGIPaleo.com with huge modifications by me 

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  25 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 12-15

Ingredients

• ½ c Almond Flour
• 3/4 c gluten free baking mix (I used Trader Joe's)
• 1/4 c tapioca flour 
• ½ t Salt
• ½ t Baking Soda
• ½ t Baking Powder
• 5 Eggs
• 1/3 c Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1/4 c raw honey (omit if on 21 DSD) 
• 1/2 c canned pumpkin 
• ½ c Coconut Cream (I got this at the asian store) 
• 1 t Vanilla
• 1 t Pumpkin Pie Spice (didn't have this either, subbed cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg) 
• 4 Medium Carrots, grated (I ended up with ~1½ cups)

Instructions

1. Combine all your dry ingredients.
2. Beat the eggs with the applesauce, pumpkin, coconut cream, and vanilla.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine.
4. Beat with an electric mixer on HIGH for 2 minutes (this step is key to a good, fluffy texture).
5. Spoon into your lined cupcake tins to about ¾ full.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, until the cupcakes are lightly browned and pass the toothpick test.
7. Makes about 1 dozen cupcakes.

Week 2 on a Sugar Detox: Recap

This week was SO much better! I'm past the point of sugar highs and lows and even when I'm hungry, I'm not shaky and jittery. I'm just hungry! What a concept! I didn't realize what a slave I was to the sugar crashes. I'm sleeping better this week too. For months, I wasn't sleeping through the night. I don't know why that is. Well, for a month, I had the flu and a lingering cough that would wake me up a couple times a night. But even before that, I wasn't sleeping well. Now, I sleep through the night without interruption! I don't know if that is solely because of this sugar detox, but I'll take it! I didn't lose as much weight this week but that's ok. So far, I've lost about 8 pounds. I ate out a couple of times and while I chose restaurants where I could get food within my restrictions, I still ate more than I would have at home.  I tried a few new recipes this week as well. All of them were yummy! Meal recaps are below!

Day 8
Breakfast: Nothing, slept in
Lunch: Hamburger patty with cheese, spinach
Dinner: Almond Encrusted Pork Chop, Mashed Cauliflower, Salad

Day 9
Breakfast: Atkins Shake, Iced Plain Coffee
Lunch: Chipotle (1/2 serving brown rice, double chicken, fajita veggies, cheese, and lettuce)
Dinner: HuHot (stir fried chicken, veggies, pork, NY strip steak, chili/garlic oil)

Day 10
Breakfast: Brown Rice Cake, Almond Butter, Sliced Banana
Lunch: Salami, Turkey, Cheese
Dinner: Leftover Almond Pork Chop, Mashed Cauliflower, and Asparagus

Day 11
Breakfast: Atkins Shake
Lunch: Hamburger Patty and Iced Tea
Dinner: Kneaders Cafe (Chicken Ala Mondo Salad and Cream of Broccoli Soup)

Day 12
Breakfast: Atkins Shake and Iced Coffee
Lunch: Salami, Cheese, Green Salad
    Snack: Green Applesauce (made this in the crockpot. Yum!)
Dinner: Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

Day 13
Breakfast: Sausage, Brown Rice Cake with Almond Butter and Banana
Lunch: Salad with turkey
Dinner: Chicken Vegetable Soup

Day 14! (Woohoo! 2/3 of the way there!)
Breakfast: Atkins Shake
Lunch: Lentil Curry Coconut Soup and Salad
Dinner: Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Cauliflower, Asparagus

• To recap: I feel GOOD! Like really good. It's enlightening to see that in only 2 weeks, how much food has an impact on the quality of my daily life. Now if only my skin would be better. I've never dealt with acne but I find its a bit uneven in tone and I've had this one painful pimple for like 10 days. Hopefully, that will improve this coming week! Fingers crossed!

Week 1 Recap: Sugar Detox

One week down on my sugar detox, 2 weeks to go! A day or two were not so fun, mostly because I didn't plan very well and ended up really hungry and too low on blood sugar. Day 3, I almost caved and ordered some Chinese food because I was SO jittery and had a massive headache. I was trying to come up with something on the food plan to order but then realized that the Chinese delivery place I go to is closed on Mondays! Saved! So instead I threw in some gluten free chicken nuggets that I had bought at Whole Foods and reheated spaghetti squash with it. The next morning, I definitely felt better and glad I didn't divert!

Honestly, I don't think I feel much different. I've lost about 6 lbs this week which is really nice but I don't notice much difference. Some people have said that they feel more alert after the first week. Or they sleep better. Or they have more energy. I wouldn't say any of that applies to me. One thing I did notice this week was I didn't have ANY diarrhea from the medicine I am on. I tend to forget to take my Metformin and if I go a few days without it, I'll get stomach issues for a couple of days while I adjust to the meds again. I took the medicine in the morning everyday with an Atkins shake and had no issses at all! Hmm, maybe it's something about certain foods and the medicine combining? I have no idea!

I did some grocery shopping at the beginning of the week to get ingredients I needed for some recipes I want to try this week. Why do smoked sausages have added sugar to them? I was looking for a keilbasa for red beans and rice I made and out of 8 different companies, they ALL had sugar in them! This includes all the natural/organic companies at Sprouts. I finally found one, Harvestland, that at least had honey as a sweetener instead of corn syrup. Why does one need to sweeten meat? I don't understand.

I made homemade ketchup in the crockpot. It's not bad! Disclaimer: if you're looking for it to taste just like ketchup, you're going to be disappointed. But I like it and I don't mind swapping it out for ketchup. I'm not such a ketchup fan that I need something that's just like it. Maybe adding in some honey would sweeten it up and make it taste more like traditional ketchup. The recipe is HERE. It's part of the 21-day sugar detox so it's gluten free, paleo, and clean. Not everything I'm eating on this detox will be though! Well, at least not paleo. They will be clean.

So here's a day-by-day recap and meals that I ate in case you ever want to try this out. It's really not that bad so far!

Day One
Breakfast: Atkins Shake and Banana
Lunch: Lundberg Brown Rice Cake, Turkey, 1/2 slice of Cheddar Cheese
Snack: Almond Butter and Green Apple
Dinner: Modified Chinese Spareribs (used the ketchup I made instead of hoisen sauce), Mashed Rutabaga, and Roasted Broccoli
Comments: Day one on any new diet or detox is never bad for me. I don't usually feel any different!

Day Two
Breakfast: Atkins Shake
Lunch: Rotisserie Chicken dipped in leftover Biaggi's tomato sauce, Rutabaga
Snack: Marinated Mozzarella Balls, Sliced Turkey, Strawberries
Dinner: Red Beans and Brown Rice, Leftover Broccoli
Dessert: Frozen Banana dipped in Dark Chocolate
Comments: That red beans and rice recipe is great! Although I did some modifications to it. I add 1/4 tsp of cayenne and switched the ham for keilbasa. I also used butter instead of lard. I didn't have any. SO yummy!

Day Three
Breakfast: Atkins Shake
Lunch: Rotisserie Chicken dipped in Ranch, Carrots, Strawberries
Snack: Almonds and Green Beans
Dinner: Almond crusted chicken nuggets, Spaghetti Squash, and Salad
Dessert: Frozen Banana
Comments: This day was hard on me. I started on a Saturday so this was Monday, my first day at school. I didn't pack enough food to get me through the day and I have a jam packed day, classes back to back from 8am-5pm. So, trying to find a time to eat something was hard. I came home with a horrible headache.

Day Four
Breakfast: Atkins Shake (I really have no problem having the same thing everyday!)
Lunch: Out for lunch at Tucano's.
Dinner: Baked Sweet Potato
Dessert: Frozen Banana
Comments: Tucano's is a great restaurant for this diet! Or if you're paleo/low carb. TONS of meat! I was stuffed! Today, I felt exhausted most of the day. Took a nap and then was craving carbs so I ate a baked sweet potato with butter for dinner. I'm not really concerned about weight loss right now, but I have lost 4.5 pounds in 4 days! Probably just water weight.

Day Five
Breakfast: Coconut Yogurt, Strawberries
Lunch: Fruit Cup from cafeteria (grapes and cheese)
Snack: Cheese and Sausage sticks
Dinner: Coconut Curry Chicken
Comments: This day wasn't as bad, though I was out all day again. I did forget to pack lunch and ended up grabbing a fruit cup at school along with a plain iced coffee but I wasn't shaky till right before I got home at about 5:00pm. Didn't really like my recipe for curry chicken though!

Day Six
Breakfast: Nothing, I slept in late
Lunch: Hamburger patty with cheese, sauteed onions and bok choy, strawberries
Dinner: Chicken Cauliflower Soup
Comments: First day I added exercise! Just 45 minutes on the elliptical at the gym. And I did really well with controlling blood sugar today!

Day Seven
Breakfast: Atkins Shake
Lunch: Leftover Chicken Soup
Dinner: Moo Goo Gai Pan
Comments: I've lost 6 lbs as of this afternoon!

Day 1: Sugar detox

My family is away for 18 days on a Compassion International trip to Thailand. I'm quite jealous! But while they're gone, I'm going to try a sugar detox. I mentioned on Facebook that I was considering it while they would be gone because I think it's so much easier to concentrate on something like this when you're not surrounded by people who are eating something else and having to juggle cooking for them AND cooking for yourself. I can make whatever I want without anybody saying "What is THAT?!". So today is Day 1. I considered these detox plans: The 21-day Sugar Detox and The Sugar Detox but didn't really like either of them exclusively. So, I'm combining some of the aspects of both and revamping both of them to my own personal preferences. For example, The 21-day Sugar Detox is very Paleo based. So no dairy. I don't like that idea. So I'll include it in moderation within my detox. Here's what I will not be eating:

• No refined sugars
• No artificial sweeteners (that's ok, All but Splenda gives me a headache!)
• No refined flours
• No white potatoes
• No white rice
• Nothing corn based
• Nothing processed

I'll eat in limited amounts:

• Dairy (always organic with no hormones. Sprouts has it on sale this week!)
• Sweet Potatoes (Because they are high in sugar)
• Brown Rice
• Honey
• Fruits ( lemons, limes, strawberries, green apples, and green-tipped bananas are approved)

Everything else is game on! I'm not placing any weight loss goals on myself for the next 18 days. I just want to see how this affects my body and my blood sugar levels. Like I've said, I have PCOS and with that comes blood sugar issues. The medicine I'm on helps with that but I do get extreme dips in blood sugar from time to time which trigger horrible migraines. So that's my plan! First up on the meals, I'm going to make homemade ketchup, a slightly modified version of Chinese Spareribs, and mashed rutabaga. Wish me luck!

P.S. Oh, I forgot to mention that the one exception I'm adding to this plan is I'll be drinking Atkins Shakes. I know, not sugar detox approved. They're processed. But I travel to Pueblo 4 days a week for an 8:00am class and trying to prepare breakfast beforehand is really challenging for me. I'm not a morning person. On a normal day, you won't see me out of bed before 9:00. So getting up to make something for breakfast is just not going to happen. Also, I hate most breakfast type foods. Eggs least of all. Can't stand them. So in order to make this doable for me, I'm going to add these shakes. They've only got 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of sugar so I think these are a better addition to my Sugar detox!

Pitfalls of New Year's Resolutions

It's always the #1 goal for Americans on January 1. Lose weight. Everyone is hopped up and raring to go. The gyms are full of people and I'm sure gym owners are thrilled. They're making lots of money right now. I see numerous coupons for Slim Fast shakes and weight loss pills. But by Valentine's Day (Maybe Presidents' Day if they're lucky), the motivation dwindles and the gyms empty. Lines to McDonald's and Taco Bell get longer and longer. It happens every year. Even with me. Especially with me. I'm hoping to change that this year.

Let's start with me and a bit of my history. I have PCOS. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I was diagnosed at age 17. And while my menstruation problems (I've gone a couple of years without a period before) have been fixed with Metformin, my weight issues have never been resolved. 3 or 4 years ago, I lost about 25 pounds doing the Biggest Loser plan and I finally discovered what worked for me. Clean eating and A LOT of exercise were the only tools that helped me lose weight. But I didn't stick with it. I know I should have. I have no excuses. I didn't have fast food for 3 months and then got so sick after eating a taco. Mhmm, that should tell you something. :)

Let's talk about diets for a minute. I have some strong opinions on some of them. And they don't come from bias or media hype. I'm very educated on them. I've done extensive research on a couple of different diet plans including The Paleolithic diet and the Gluten Free diet. I've written research papers on them for school. My degrees are in Biology and Chemistry. I know how the body operates. My goal at the end of my education is to be in medicine. Not nutrition (though that's my brother's end goal) but I still have a fascination for nutrition and especially for the trends going on in America's diet right now. I don't say all of this to brag but to show you that my opinions don't come lightly. They come from a well-educated, well-researched mouth. But we're not going to get into those opinions right now. If you want to know, ask me. I'll tell you what I think and I'll have support to back it up.

Tonight, we're talking about resolutions and pitfalls. Especially MY pitfalls. Did you know only 8% of people will complete their New Year's goals? That's pretty small. Here's my plan for avoiding being one of the 92%.

1. I'm not going to focus on a number. I'm not going to say, "I want to lose 35 pounds by Spring Break." or Summer Break. Or whenever. I'm going to focus on changing how and what I eat. Cutting out the sugar, white flours, processed crap. I'm upping our food budget a little in order to introduce whole foods. I'm going to eat out WAY less to balance out the food budget increase. Eating out gets old anyway. And I love to cook!
2. I'm getting a personal trainer. I've had a gym membership for like 3 years. And I think I went all of a dozen times last year. Granted, almost 4 months were spent in a different state but I didn't go to the gym there either! For me, it doesn't matter how little I eat. I don't lose significant amounts of weight without exercise.
3. I'm not going to beat myself up and give up if I get off track. Sometimes I get distracted. It happens. Move on!
4. I'm going to focus on prayer. Because that's what's crucial. With God, all things are possible.

Do you have resolutions this year? How do you stay successful?