Sugar withdrawals

Sugar addiction is real, people! And it can produce VERY real symptoms. All day today (and it's only day 2!), I've had a jittery feeling and a terrible headache! Not a migraine, so that's good, but an intense headache all the same. I've also been dreaming about how good a Dr. Pepper would taste right about now. And a Haagen Dazs Bar. Or the rum cakes that I got for gifts for friends from the Cayman Islands last week. They're sitting in my room taunting me! A green apple and almond butter as "dessert" didn't cut it. I need chocolate, folks!

Ok, no more whining. The creators of the Whole30 are big about not whining. It's 30 days, right? I can do anything for 30 days. A quote from their book says "It is not hard. Don't you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. IS. NOT. HARD. You won't get any coddling, and you won't get any sympathy for your 'struggles'". Ok, I'm done.

I spent most of the day in the kitchen prepping all kinds of yummy food. My "Against All Grain" cookbook got a workout. As did her blog :) For lunch I made buffalo chicken tenders, dairy-free ranch dressing, and homemade sweet potato fries. My mom got these sweet potato tater tots from Alexia foods the other day and omg, are they delicious. However, they are NOT Whole30 or Paleo approved. So I resorted to sweet potato fries. They were good too. I also had a cucumber-tomato salad and sauteed zucchini.

Next, I made some vegetable soup to keep in the frig. It's a good snack. I also made homemade ketchup because I needed it for the ribs I was making for dinner. You can find that recipe HERE. And last but not least, I made sticky asian ribs. A recipe I designed myself. I've been craving PF Chang's ribs and decided to try and recreate it. Wow, were they yummy! Took forever though. I marinated them overnight and then they roasted in the oven for 3 hours. But they were totally worth it. My family had them with brown rice and mixed veggies. I reheated some mashed cauliflower. I think you'll love this recipe. And if you don't, lie and say you did :)

Asian Sticky Ribs

For the sauce:

1 cup ketchup (a Paleo recipe can be found HERE)
2 T rice vinegar
2 T sesame oil
2 T coconut aminos (or gluten free soy if not on Whole30)
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sriracha sauce 
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs baby back ribs

Note: I would add 2 T honey if not on Whole30. I think it needed some sweetener.

Directions:
- Mix sauce ingredients together. 
- Baste ribs with 1/2 the sauce and marinate overnight (I know it's hard but these ribs need to be marinated overnight. Just do it)
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. You could also roast them on an outdoor grill over low heat.
-Place ribs on large cookie sheet. Baste ribs with more sauce, cover with tin foil and roast for 3 hours. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Baste every hour or so. 
- Any leftover sauce can be used for dipping. Serve hot and with plenty of moist towelettes! 

Migraines, beware!

Ugh, sometimes my body really irritates me! Lately, I'm back to regularly taking migraine medication. And not the over the counter, Excedrin stuff, but the prescription, heavy-duty, wipes-me-out-for-the-afternoon kind. I just got back from a cruise with a friend of mine and a migraine put me in bed for a whole afternoon one of the days! Not cool, not cool at all! I tried to cut back on the wheat while I was away. Gluten-free bread for sandwiches, tell the waiter "no bread, please" every night when they were passing around those warm, addicting, sourdough rolls. Sigh, life is hard. ;)

So, when I got home, I decided to try and take my health back! I'm going to try something new though. Instead of the 21 day sugar detox (which works quite well every time I've done it), I'm going to do the Whole30. Has anyone ever tried it? It's very similar to the detox, except it adds in more fruits and potatoes. So that's nice. I'm not much of a potato person but it does give a different starch to play around with from time to time. It's not on the menu for this week though. Maybe I'll grab a couple for next week.

Also, I'm modifying a bit and adding in some hard cheeses. I don't have a problem with dairy and the cheeses I'll add will be additive free, organic, and I'll try to stick with mostly raw. I got some raw Gouda today at Sprouts. Yum Yum!

My snack from today: Gouda, ham, and a bit of pear

So there you have it. I've got a BUNCH of new recipes up my sleeve. Look for them soon (like tomorrow. I've got a new ribs recipe marinating in the frig right now)!

A New Year... times of transition and rejuvenation

A new year is starting in just a few days and it's an exciting (and maybe a bit anxiety filled as well) time for me. I FINALLY graduated from college! After a 6 1/2 year journey, I'm done. At least for a little while. So now it's time to look for jobs and start a life on my own! When I started this journey of going back to school, I was living with 5 girls and was newly unemployed. I decided a career in healthcare was the best option for me. I had been laid off 3 times in less than 2 years and my career choice just wasn't panning out. Event management is so fickle. I love it but whenever companies start to have troubles, the 5 and 6 figure events are the first thing on the chopping block. I didn't like the outlook on my career life. Constantly looking for new work is tough!

So, I thought the sciences were the best way to go. I was sure I would never struggle to find work with a science degree, especially as a woman. There's just not that many of us. Looking back on it, I'm not sure it was the greatest idea on my part. It's been a tough journey for me. It's just not a strong suit of mine, especially the chemistry that I was required to do. I'm much more creative minded instead of logical. But I made it. I'm alive, although there were definitely moments of doubt and many nights of tears and anxiety.

I think God really protected me this last semester. Last spring, I was suffering from debilitating migraines and even landed myself in the hospital when my arm went numb and they thought I was having a stroke. I was falling further and further behind and to be honest, I wasn't even sure if I would pass the semester. But my professors were so understanding and they got me caught up and on track to graduate. This fall semester, I got a wonderful new job that allowed me to do homework and thanks to a combination of medication and diet, my migraines have almost disappeared! So even though I actually increased my school load to 8 classes (a total of 19 credits. I actually needed to get special permission to take that many) and work hours, I finished with a better GPA and a healthier body and mind. I know many of you were praying for me this past semester and I just wanted to say thank you and your prayers were felt!

So, in conclusion, here's a new recipe or two for you. Because that is what I blog about! I got a bunch of new kitchen/household items for Christmas this year as I venture out on my own and these recipes allowed me to use 4 of my new gadgets :) Thanks mom and Jeremy! Enjoy!

Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrot, chopped

2 bay leaves 

2 Tbsp curry powder

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 cups chicken stock (homemade is best!)

2 cups water

1 Tbsp sea salt

1/3 cup green apple, diced

1/4 cup basmati rice (or substitute 1 cup chopped cauliflower)

1/4 cup coconut cream (I used Trader Joe's)

1. Saute onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil for 5-6 minutes until onions are translucent. Add curry and bay leaf and stir to coat.

2, Add chicken thighs, stock, salt, and water. Simmer for 45 minutes until thighs are tender. 

3. Remove thighs onto a cutting board and chop or shred into small pieces. Add back to soup.

4. Add rice and apples to pot. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes until rice is tender. 

5. Stir in coconut cream. Serve hot!

Cilantro-Lime Dressing

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 tsp lime juice

1 Tbsp honey

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a tall blender bottle or glass measuring cup. Blend together with an immersion blender or regular blender. Pour over salad. We serve this over a mandarin orange salad. Very yummy! 

A Warm Up

So... week one down. Two more to go. It's strange to me that this time through the 21-day Sugar Detox seems different to me. I feel different and have different symptoms than when I went through the plan last year. Last year, I didn't feel very well day 3 and 4. This time, it was only day 1 that I felt tired and had a headache. And I'm not really sure if that had anything to do with the detox or not. But I've been SO hungry this whole week. Like all the time. Doesn't seem to matter what I eat, two hours later, I'm hungry again. While this sugar detox isn't about limiting how much you eat, just what you eat, I don't want or need to consume 2,000 calories everyday! I don't think I need that many calories in my day! I'm not athletic (just stating facts!) and I'd like to continue losing weight! 

Last year, I also just felt better after the first 5 or 6 days. I slept better, was more energized, and my body just seemed to like the eating plan better. I can't describe it really, but my body seems to be rebelling this time. It's not something I can really put my finger on though. I still sleep fine, for the most part. It's summer and I have plenty of time to sleep in if need be :) Ah, the sleep of a student on summer break. It's heavenly. And rapidly coming to an end. But I digress. 

I don't know. It's just not the same. But I'll continue. Maybe next week will be better. I have lost 6.8 pounds so far. So there's that :) 

Here's a new recipe for you all. I had this dish for the first time from a food truck in Manhattan a few years ago. It's now my mom's absolute favorite! I don't think it tastes exactly like the one I had in NYC but it's still super yummy. I made it with cauliflower rice for myself but everyone else ate it with regular white rice. 

P.S. The Harissa red sauce can be found at Briarmart on Academy and Woodman if you're wondering. It comes in a bright yellow (very expensive!) can. Or buy it online at Amazon. I'm not sure if it's available anywhere else in town. Maybe Whole Foods? 

Halal Chicken and Rice (recipe pieced together from Serious Eats, Huffington Post, and my own tweaks) 

Chicken Marinade

• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 T chopped (or dried) oregano
• 1/2 t ground coriander
• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 c plain greek yogurt
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• Kosher salt

• Directions:
• Mix spices, lemon juice, yogurt, and 2 T olive oil together in large bowl. Add chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat grill and grill chicken until fully cooked inside. Roughly chop and set aside. 

White Sauce

8 oz Greek Yogurt

1/2 c mayonaise (I use Spectrum because it doesn't have sugar in it)

1 T salt

1 T vinegar

1 T lemon juice

1 T olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves

2 tsp dill (dried or fresh is fine)
1 T horseradish (not that horseradish mayo stuff. The real stuff!) 

1 T water

• Directions: Blend all ingredients together (I used an immersion blender) and chill for a couple hours. 

Other Ingredients

Lettuce, shredded

Roma tomato, diced

Harissa red sauce, for drizzling

Layer chicken over rice. Top with lettuce, tomato, white and red sauce. Serve warm. 

Round and Round We Go

I've decided to start the 21 day Sugar Detox again. Yesterday was my first day and I had a terrible headache all day! I'm not sure if it was because of the detox, or if I would have developed it anyway. I don't usually experience symptoms the first day on any diet. Usually it's 2-3 days in.

My mom has been doing the detox as well for about a month now. She felt terrible for about 2 full weeks! Although, she went with the Ketogenic plan instead of Paleo. Keto is much lower in carbs than Paleo is. They try to stay under 25 grams of Carbohydrates per day! To put that into perspective, a roma tomato (something we've been eating A LOT of lately) has 7 grams of carbs in a single tomato. Man, oh man! That is difficult to adhere to! I applaud my mom :)

I made some Indian food for dinner. While it was a recipe I had made many times before, I didn't love the way it came out. I'm not sure why. The only thing different I did was use tomato sauce instead of tomato paste. I didn't have any paste in the house at the moment. But normally, it's one of our family's favorite meals. I also made Against All Grain's Saffron Cauliflower Rice to go along with it. You can find the recipe HERE. We usually eat it with regular rice, when not sugar detoxing!

Originally, this recipe I found online somewhere. However, over the years, I've adapted it substantially to suit our tastes. I don't know what the original recipe was like anymore! LOL

Indian Butter Chicken 

Ingredients 

1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken (either breasts or thighs), cleaned and cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Salt - to taste
1/3 C Almond Meal or Flour (I usually use Trader Joe's Almond Meal- this is your thickener)
Fresh Ginger & garlic – 1 t. each, grated
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 Large Onion – diced          
2 T Oil 

1/4 c Tomato paste
1/4 c plain yogurt or coconut milk

2 T butter 

Directions

• Fry onions in oil till transparent.
• Add cinnamon and let it fry for 5 minutes
• Then add ginger & garlic along with a little water
• Stir continuously.
• Add turmeric, chili & coriander powder with salt and mix well.
• Pour in tomato puree and almond meal.  Mix well with a little more water. It will be thick!
• When it starts to boil, add the chicken.   Add additional water so that the chicken is barely covered. 
• The gravy should get thick or according to your requirement. Before switching off add butter and yogurt or coconut milk.  Serve over rice.

Veggies Galore!

It's smack-dab in the middle of summer and gorgeous vegetables and fruits are available at my local farmers market. I love it so much! I found some beautiful looking brussel sprouts and decided to try a new recipe that I had seen a picture of on Pinterest. There wasn't a recipe included with the picture, but it was only two ingredients, Brussel Sprouts and Bacon. We grilled them on the grill and they were pretty good! I think next time I'll brush them with something sweet like maple syrup or something. Or maybe just use maple bacon?

Brussel-Bacon Skewers

A bunch of large brussel sprouts
Bacon
Olive Oil (for brushing)
Coarse Salt

-Wash and trim brussel sprouts
-Parboil sprouts in water on stove for 10 minutes or so. The bacon will burn before the sprouts are done if you don't do this step!
-Thread a piece of bacon onto the skewer. Add brussel sprouts so that the bacon threads around the sprouts
-Brush with Olive Oil and sprinkle with salt
-Grill for 15 minutes until soft
-Enjoy!

Goulash: A family recipe

Years and years ago, my dad got my mom a microwave for their Anniversary. I know you're thinking, "I know better than that! You NEVER get household appliances for your wife for your anniversary!" But my mom really, really wanted that microwave! She was thrilled with it! And they lugged it all over the country for about 12 years until it died. The microwave came with a microwave cookbook with a single gem of a recipe that we've made countless times over the years. It's called Hungarian Goulash. It's all of 8 ingredients. Ingredients that I'm sure are commonplace in your kitchen. If not, they're easily attainable at any grocery store. We serve this dish over noodles, usually small shells or ditalini sized pasta. This time, I served it over Cappellos Almond Flour Fettuccine (which is awesome by the way!), making this dish totally Paleo and SO incredibly easy.I hope you try it. It's definitely comfort food and was perfect on this blizzardy night!

Hungarian Goulash

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1.2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (16 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
Dash of cayenne, optional

1/2 lb macaroni, small sized like shells or ditalini

Directions
1. In a large saucepan, saute onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add ground beef and brown until no longer pink. Drain if desired
2. Add all remaining ingredients (except pasta) into pan and stir to combine. Simmer for 15-20 minutes to cook tomatoes and blend flavors.
3. In a separate saucepan, cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain and mix into goulash mixture. Serve immediately.

P.S. I top mine with Parmesan or Romano cheese. The rest of my family thinks I'm weird. Try it if you'd like!